Blue Moon
by laurenwrites
Summary: Beck didn't have a happy ending, but he might be getting a second chance at one. AU.
1. Chapter I

**I have no idea why I am starting a new story when I have four tests next week.**

**That being said, this one's different from anything I've ever done, and I kinda like it. If other people do, too, then I guess my grades will have to suffer ;)**

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_Chapter I_

_My Way_

.

"Finn, buddy, will you bring your plate to the sink please?"

"I'm not done with my pizza yet!"

"Oh. Okay, well hurry and finish so that you can play with Uncle Andre and Aunt Tori when they get here!"

"Dad, where are you going tonight?" Finn asks him from where he sits at the table.

"I'm going to dinner with a friend," Beck answers, not wanting to disclose the full details to his impressionable son. This will be the first date he's gone on since ending things with the boys' mother, and he's not ready to introduce even the idea of any other woman to them yet. Just as he's finishing putting the leftover pizza away, the doorbell rings and Finn hops up to answer it.

"Uncle Andre!" He shouts, jumping into the man's arms.

"Hey, bud!" Beck's longtime best friend catches the five-year-old with ease.

"What am I, chopped liver?" Tori feigns offense as she closes the door behind her.

"Hi, Aunt Tori," Finn replies playfully. The three move into the kitchen, where Beck meets them.

"Hey, guys. Thanks again for coming over."

"No problem, man. We love hanging with the boys." As Andre talks, his fiancé makes her way to where Beck's younger son is sitting in his high chair. She lifts Ezra out of his seat and wipes the food off of his mouth before tickling the baby.

While Andre and Tori get settled in with the kids, Beck heads into his room to finish getting ready. He had only gotten a shower in earlier, but after a quick change of clothes and some lax cologne he's good to go.

"Alright," he says upon re-entering the kitchen. "How's this?"

"You look awesome!" Tori answers with a smile. "You got the address I texted to you, right?"

"Yep, saved it earlier. As for the boys—they're fed and bathed. Bedtime for Finn is around 8:30, and Ezra can go down as soon as possible. Thanks again for doing this, guys."

"No worries!" Tori assures him. "Go, and have fun! We've got everything under control here."

"Okay. Okay, boys, be good for Aunt Tori and Uncle Andre." Beck kisses both of his sons' heads and gets a hug from Finn. "I love you. I'll see you guys in the morning."

When he finally gets out the door, Beck takes his truck to pick up his date. He's nervous—that, he can't lie about—but with good reason. As he walks up to the front door of the small home, he reminds himself that Tori has good taste in friends and that surely this girl will be (at the very least) better than his ex-wife.

He rings the bell and she opens the door just a minute later. "You must be Beck," she says with a smile.

"That would be me," he answers kindly, and sticks his hand out for her to shake.

"It's great to meet you. I'm Veronica. Let me grab my purse and I'll be ready to go."

"No problem," he says easily, and then waits for his blind date to shut her door behind her.

The conversation on the drive to the restaurant is a little forced and a little stiff, but Beck excuses it. This is, after all, only their first time to meet. The dinner conversation isn't a huge improvement; Veronica, to him, seems very normal. A plain Jane.

Nice, but not enough to hold his interest.

He doesn't get uncomfortable until Veronica orders her third vodka tonic—and they're only halfway through the main course. While he is not a man easily irritated, he finds himself completely turned off by how casual this girl is about getting drunk in front of him on their first date. It's not as if she knows his story—or rather, his ex-wife's story—but he still can't help but deem Veronica's behavior inappropriate.

By the time he's paid the check, his date is _drunk_. He drives her home and she uses him as support while he walks her to the door. "Do you have a key?" Beck asks, but receives no real response other than a very slurred,

"My sister's here."

He rings the doorbell, but he isn't quite prepared for what happens next.

"Oh, Von," the girl who opens the door says, in a tone thick with disappointment and annoyance. "Why do you do this?" She looks up at Beck, who almost doesn't hear what she says because he's so focused on the crystal blue color of her eyes. "I'm sorry. Thanks for bringing her home."

Beck snaps back into the moment and hands Veronica over to the girl inside the house. "It's no problem," he tells her. "I'm Beck." He figures he might as well introduce himself, especially if it means he'll get to hear this pretty girl say anything else.

"Jade," she replies, allowing Veronica to walk past her through the doorway. "I'm Veronica's sister."

"Oh, okay."

"Thanks again. And, sorry."

"No worries." Beck finds himself staring at her again, and she's staring back at him—until they have a simultaneous realization that their current interaction is anything but normal. "Well, I'll see ya around," he says, and stuffs his hands back into his jacket pocket. He gives her one last smile before turning around and walking back to his truck.

Beck hears the door shut behind him, and he can't help but wonder if that was his last chance at talking to the blue-eyed girl inside that house.

It's two days later when Beck finally gets the chance to talk to Tori about Jade. Tori had spent the better part of the last 48 hours since the first-date-gone-wrong apologizing profusely to Beck about Veronica. On Monday morning, as soon as Beck has dropped Finn off at school, he decides to give his friend a call.

"Beck, hey," she says into the phone. "What's up?"

"Just headed to work. How was the show this morning?"

"It was great. Lots of fun stories to report on, especially with the festival coming up."

"Good, glad to hear it," Beck replies. "Anyways, I wanted to ask you about something from Friday night. It's not about Veronica," he says before she can start apologizing again. "It's about her sister. Do you know her?"

"Jade?"

"Yes, exactly. She was at the house when I dropped Veronica off. I didn't talk to her for long, but she seems...different than her sister."

"That's because she is," Tori tells him. "They're almost polar opposites. Why do you ask?"

"I dunno," Beck answers honestly. "I guess I was just wondering if you know anything about her."

"I do; I'm sort of surprised that you've never met her before Friday, but I guess she's not really the type of girl you normally go for."

"What do you mean?"

"Blonde, bubbly...likes alcohol."

Beck rolls his eyes. "Thanks for the love."

"You know I'm teasing you," Tori chides. "But yeah, Jade is nothing like that."

"Well maybe it's time for a change in the type of woman I need, huh?" Beck pulls into his spot in his work's parking lot.

"I think you may be right," Tori agrees. "Jade is cool. She's very artsy—you know, likes photography, drawing, music...stuff like that."

"I like that. So you think I should ask her out?" He barely finishes his word before he hears Tori laughing. "What, what's so funny?"

"No, nothing, it's just...good luck. She tends to, uh, scare the guys off. She doesn't take any bullshit, and I guess that intimidates a lot of her potential boyfriends."

"Hmm. Interesting."

"You sound determined."

Beck laughs and pulls his son out of the car seat in the back row of his truck. "I'll let you know how things go. Thanks for the advice."

"Anytime. Talk to you soon."

"Later." As soon as he's clicked to end the call, he devotes his full attention to the one-year-old sitting in his arms. "Hey, bud. You ready for another day of work with Dad?"

Ezra giggles and Beck kisses his head before lowering his sunglasses onto his eyes and walking towards the building. Despite his unique line of projects for the day (it's not every day that he gets to design the floor plans for a basketball stadium), he can't help but think about what Tori had told him about Jade. In general, he can't stop thinking about Jade at all.

Tori, on the other hand, doesn't pay much attention to the situation until her mid-day break. She's filling her plate in the lunch room when she notices the girl walk by. "Jade!"

"Oh," the brunette turns to see Tori. "Hey, I didn't know you were still working today. Don't you usually leave after the morning show on Monday?"

"Yeah, but I decided to stick around for a few more hours to do research. Andre and I are saving up for the honeymoon."

"Ah, of course," Jade says with a sly smile.

"What are you doing here?"

"I've got a meeting with your boss, actually. He wants to hire me to do some photography at the festival next weekend."

"That's awesome!" Tori almost doesn't mention anything from her phone call earlier, but she's never really been able to help herself from meddling just a little. "So...Beck asked about you."

The skinny girl doesn't miss how Jade's expression changes-if even for a millisecond. "Who?" She asks, as if she hasn't been thinking about him for the past two days.

"You know, _Beck_. The one who took Von out on Friday."

"Oh, right." Jade tosses a handful of almonds into her mouth. "Him."

"Uh-huh. Him." Tori raises her eyebrows teasingly. "He mentioned you."

"Me? Von's the one he went out with."

"Yeah, and we all know how well that went. Remind me to kill her next chance I get," Tori says.

"She does love her liquor."

"Clearly. Anyways...any interest in Beck?"

"Oh, I don't know, Tor."

"Just think about it. And let me know, because you guys would be totally cute together."

"Mhmm." Jade playfully rolls her eyes and heads off to her interview, leaving Tori to her lunch break.

By Thursday morning, Beck still hasn't been able to concentrate on anything other than the girl he'd met almost a week ago. His memory of their brief interaction is fading away, and he's thinking that it may be time to try to forget about it.

He's just ordered his coffee at Jet Brew when he thinks his mind is playing tricks on him. There, at the end of the bar, waiting for her drink, is Jade. He's immediately grateful that his mom keeps Ezra on Tuesdays and Thursdays while he works, because he's pretty sure that Jade would have no way of knowing that he has two sons and he doesn't want to freak her out.

"Jade?" She looks up at him and, yes, those eyes are definitely as blue as he'd remembered. "Beck," he says to remind her, and damn, he doesn't remember the last time he was actually nervous around a girl.

"Yeah. Nice to see you." The ghost of a smile dances across her lips and he forces himself to come up with something to say to her to continue the conversation.

"How've you been?"

(Lame, but it'll do.)

"Eh," she shrugs her shoulder. "Just working. The usual." Jade can see that he's waiting for her to say something else, and she _really_ likes his hair, so she figures why not keep talking to him? "What about you?"

"I've been great," he answers, deciding not to add on that he's also been thinking about her constantly. "Just grabbing a coffee before work. Do you come here often?"

"Jet Brew's my favorite," she admits just as the barista calls her name. She grabs the large cup off of the counter and tells Beck that it was good to see him, but he's quick to stop her.

"Jade," he says, and she turns around from where she stands a few feet away from him. "Would you...maybe, like to get coffee? Sometime? ...With me?" Well, he thinks, that could have come out smoother.

It takes her a few seconds, and Beck really thinks she might say no before she nods her head. She doesn't know why she does it, but it feels good to do it anyways. "Sure."

He smiles at her. "Saturday morning? 10:00?" Immediately after he says it, he realizes that most normal twenty-three-year-olds—ones that aren't parents, at least—probably wouldn't be up at that time on the weekend. But his fear diminishes quickly when she tells him she'll be here.

She turns around to leave, and they call his name at the bar. He almost doesn't hear it because he really only has one thing on his mind.

He just scored a date with Jade... Jade... Well, he'll ask Tori for her last name.

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**Title is a song by Frank Sinatra.**

**Unlike when I've done other multi-chaps in the past, I have not written anything past that last sentence. But I might...maybe?**


	2. Chapter II

**Thank you for all of your responses! I guess I'll keep going ;)**

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_Chapter II_

_I've Got a Crush on You_

.

Hard as he tries, Beck just can't sleep in on Saturday morning. He doesn't know if it's because he's nervous (and excited) for his date with Jade or if it's because his biological clock wakes him up early anyways, but for whatever the reason, he's restless.

Finn and Ezra had stayed the night at his parents' house, leaving him with an empty and quiet home. He misses his boys, but he knows that they're being spoiled by their grandparents and that he'll have the day to accomplish some things that he needs to get done.

After making himself a simple breakfast, he goes for his usual morning run. Usually, he's pushing a double stroller carrying his sons during the ten mile trek, so his load is definitely lighter today. Although the air is thin in Colorado—and particularly in Breckenridge, which is famous for its high altitude—Beck has gotten used to it after living here for almost two decades. He's a mountain man and a nature lover at heart, and he loves Colorado with every fiber of his being.

As he runs through his town, he becomes increasingly excited for his coffee date with Jade. Once he's home, he showers and throws on his favorite red plaid shirt, and he makes the ten minute walk to Jet Brew just in time.

Jade is there shortly after him, so he pays for her coffee before the two of them find a cozy table in the back of the cafe together.

"Hi," he says, smiling at her and hoping he doesn't look as nervous as he feels. "You look really nice."

"Thanks for the coffee," she says as a reply, and takes a sip of her steaming drink.

"Of course. So, how do you know Tori?"

"We met through my sister, originally. Veronica and Tori were friends in college, and now they work at the same network station. They got hired as junior news anchors at the same time, and they've just stayed friends. What about you?"

"We went to the same high school, and Andre and I have grown up together and somehow ended up at the same school from kindergarten to college. So we go way back," Beck says.

"Andre's cool," she agrees. "He's had me sub for him a few times when something comes up and he can't make it to a lesson. I'm not nearly as good on the piano as he is, but the only difference that his students notice is that I'm a girl and I'm 'stricter'." She uses air quotes and Beck laughs. "Some of these kids will play for ten seconds and then get up and take a five minute water break, but they'll never get good if they keep doing that. Then again, they're all pretty good little pianists so I guess Andre knows what he's doing."

"He is awesome. I'd love to learn the keys someday, but for now it's just me and my guitar."

Jade's ears perk up. "You play guitar?"

"Since I was eight. I love it." She's instantly turned on, but she manages to keep her cool. "I wish I could do what Andre does and teach for a living, but with no other source of income it just doesn't really pay the bills."

Jade smiles softly. She can't believe how humble he is. "So what do you do, then?"

"I'm an architect," he answers. "I design floor plans for buildings all over Colorado." Beck almost adds his far more important job, but he's afraid to say it too soon for fear that he'll scare her off. "And you?"

"Freelance photographer. I started my own business when I was seventeen, and I haven't wanted to do anything since."

"Wow," Beck is genuinely impressed. "What's your favorite photo you've ever shot?"

Jade thinks for a minute, surprised by the fact that no one until now has ever asked her this question, until she finally realizes her answer. "You've been to the Blue Moon Festival, right?"

"Every year," he says with a smile.

"Two years ago, I got this shot of the ferris wheel. The sky was clear and the moon was a real, full blue, and there was a kid that ran right into my shot from afar. At first, I was pissed, because I had this perfect picture clear from any people at all. But when I looked at it later, I realized how great it actually was. The full moon, the ferris wheel, and the boy running across the picture in the distance. It didn't go how I planned, but it turned out perfect."

Beck can't help the grin that spreads across his face. "That's amazing. If there's anywhere you'll be guaranteed to get a good shot, it's the Blue Moon Festival."

"Big fan?"

"Huge fan."

"I can't say I like all of the crowds of people and greasy food and sticky kids running around, but the music, the lights, and the photo ops are unparalleled."

Beck's heart skips a beat when she mentions her distaste for 'sticky kids,' but he still doesn't confess anything. As their conversation goes on, he realizes how naturally they're able to talk. An hour and a half passes by as if it were five minutes, and Jade is so completely drawn to his energy that she doesn't even notice the time until her phone alarm goes off.

"I'm sorry," she says, pulling her bag onto her shoulder. "I was supposed to be at a shoot five minutes ago."

"No big deal," Beck reassures her, and before she gets up they have another one of those weird moments—identical to the one outside of her house on Friday night—where they just stare at each other. "I had a great time with you, Jade," he finally says.

She looks down and smiles shyly. "Thanks again for the coffee."

"Anytime. I...haven't dated in a while so I don't really remember how this works, but, would you mind if I asked for your number?"

Jade lets out a little laugh at how polite and sweet his question sounds. "Sure." She scribbles the digits onto a napkin and slides it towards him. "I'll see ya around." And with that, she's up and walking away, leaving Beck holding a napkin and smiling like an idiot.

Their next date is the following Tuesday night, when Andre and a very excited Tori offer to watch the boys. Beck promises himself to tell Jade about his sons, which makes him even more nervous.

They've just started the main course of their dinner when they're on the topic of what each other does in their spare time. He loves that Jade's hobbies are things like art, music, and writing. And when it comes time for him to share, he knows it's the right thing to do.

"Well, I love being outdoors," he starts off. "I like running, hiking, and playing guitar. But, most of all...I...spend time with my sons."

Jade is infinitely grateful in that moment that she has nothing in her mouth, because she's sure she would have either choked on it or downright spit it out. Why hadn't Tori mentioned this? It's not as if it's any minor detail about this guy—he's a father, for Christ's sake. When all she says is a late, "Oh," Beck feels instantly guilty.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I was scared that maybe you'd panic and not want to see me anymore. And, that being said, Jade, please know that you are under no pressure to continue seeing me after this date. I know...that this is a lot to hear."

She nods her head and internally calms herself down. "You have more than one?"

"Two. Two great boys," he tells her, and she doesn't miss how his whole face lights up. She wants to ask how in the hell he has two kids at the age of twenty-three, but she supposes she'll let him do the explaining. "Finn is five, and Ezra just had his first birthday last month."

A quick mental calculation tells her that he had this kid at eighteen years old, which is either a sign of major recklessness or major responsibility. Considering how he is now and seeing as he's obviously still the boy's dad, she goes with the latter. "Wow," is all she's able to get out. "So..." She wants to ask who the boys' mother is, but she also doesn't want to touch on anything he isn't ready to tell her.

Thankfully for her sake, he is.

"If you're interested to know how all of this went down, I'd be more than happy to tell you," he says, and she wonders how he read her mind. "But I don't want to put you on overload."

Jade doesn't know what compels her to do it, but she knows that she has to do _something_ to put her bundle of nerves of a date at ease. She reaches her hand across the table and sets it over his. Neither of them says anything about how ridiculously normal and wonderful the touch feels for two people who are only on their second date. "Beck," she says, and he thinks that he would do anything for her if she said his name just like that before asking, "tell me. I want to know," she promises.

He gulps quietly in an attempt to find his words. "Okay."

After a minute or so, the two resume eating and Beck starts his story, with Jade listening intently. "I met Leslie in high school, when we were sophomores. About a year and a half after we started dating, we found out she was pregnant." He pauses for a second, and Jade doesn't budge. "It changed everything. Suddenly there was stress...everywhere. My parents were disappointed, her parents hated me, and Leslie cried about how she didn't get an abortion every day until she was about seven months along."

Jade's eyebrows go up sympathetically, and she takes a deep breath as she realizes how fast the man in front of her must have had to grow up. "I proposed, because I knew it was the right thing to do. I had no intention of leaving her, or the baby, so I figured we might as well get married—at least to appease our parents. Things were okay, and then... Well, then Finn Taylor was born." He smiles upon mentioning his son.

"Leslie went into labor right after graduation, and he came a few hours later. She was never really interested in him, but I had a blast being a dad. I'd drive him around in my truck, him in his car seat in the back, and we'd listen to James Taylor for hours. By the time he was two he was singing all the words, and his favorite thing to tell people was who his middle name came from."

Jade smiles at this, and she can tell how much he loves talking about his son. He pays their check (she thanks him) and they start walking with no destination in mind.

"A few years after Finn was born, Leslie started drinking more. She always liked her alcohol, but it got serious fast. She dropped out of college and started crying every day again. She didn't pay any attention to Finn, but I didn't want him to grow up without a mom, so I kept telling myself that she was just going through a stage and that things would get better. But... I really got worried when she told me she was pregnant again."

Jade looks up at him, but he keeps his eyes forward as they walk. "She threatened to have an abortion, and I had to beg her not to. Those nine months were some of the hardest of my life; I had to watch her like a hawk to make sure she didn't drink, smoke, or do anything else to hurt the baby. The day Ezra was born and the doctors told me he was healthy..." Beck finally looks at her and Jade's heart beams. "I hadn't been happier since the first time I held Finn."

It dawns on her that he really has no fear of expressing himself. Unlike so many other men she's met, he isn't trying to pretend like he's anything but himself. He's proud of the fact that he's a hard-working, single dad. He's honest and gentle and kind, and goddamnit, he is gorgeous.

Beck reaches for her hand and she lets him hold it. Again, neither of them mentions how nice it feels.

"A few days after Ezra was born, Leslie started drinking again. When he was a week old, she told me—while blackout drunk—that she'd been cheating on me. The boys are mine, which she knew from paternity tests, but I guess that's just a miracle. She left the next day, swearing that she'd never come back to me. My parents helped me file for divorce, and I haven't seen or heard from her since then."

Jade racks her brain for something, anything, to say. "Beck," she starts, but he shakes his head.

"It's okay. It was for the best. I've got my boys, and they do more for me than Leslie ever could."

They walk back to Beck's truck after another hour of talking, and he drives her back to the house she shares with her sister. He's quick to exit the car so that he can open her door, and she's again shocked by how much of a gentleman he proves to be.

"Beck?" She says while he walks her to the front door.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for telling me."

He smiles—and she's pretty sure she sees him blush—and then he kisses her cheek in a way she didn't know could be so sexy. "Thanks for listening. I'll...call you tomorrow?"

She scoffs, but it turns into a smile that matches his. "You'd better."

The next morning, Tori and Jade decide to meet up for brunch. Tori has been practically dying for details about their date, but she doesn't want to force Beck into girl talk, so she's had to hold off. Once the hostess seats them at the restaurant, though, she can barely wait any longer. "How did it go?" She asks, a smile bursting onto her face.

Jade laughs and folds her napkin over her lap. "It was...good. It was really, really good."

Tori grins. "You totally like him."

"Shut up," the other girl waves her off. "And by the way, you could have told me about the two kids thing!"

"Yeah, I figured that might come out last night," Tori admits. "But I didn't want you to say no to going out with him just because he's a dad; I thought it would freak you out. He has so many great qualities that you would have missed out on. And now you know exactly what I'm talking about."

Jade doesn't say anything and opts instead to pretend read the menu. Tori figures she should decide what she wants, too, but her head pops up again the second Jade starts talking.

"He didn't kiss me," she says, and Tori can't read her expression. "I mean, he kissed my cheek. But he didn't kiss me."

"I'm not surprised," the darker-skinned girl replies. "He's _so_ respectful. He's like, a true gentleman. Plus, it's not like he can afford to go around kissing girls like he's some normal twenty-three-year-old guy; he's got Finn and Ezra to think about, you know?"

"Yeah. It does make sense. He doesn't seem like the type of guy to bring home a new mom for the kids every week or two."

Tori stares at her friend. "Jade?"

"What?"

"You're only the second girl he's ever dated. The second girl, actually, that he's ever even shown remote interest in."

"Seriously? With that face? And the hair?"

Tori nods her head and raises her eyebrows for emphasis. "Seriously. I offer all the time to hook him up with some of my girlfriends from college, but he always says no. When I finally got him to go out with Von, Andre and I were both so excited for him. But when that didn't work out, and he ended up meeting you, he was immediately interested."

"How long has he been alone like this?"

"Well, Leslie left him last August, right after Ezra was born. So I guess it's been just over a year."

"God," Jade mutters. "I know I'm no Positive Patty, but that even sounds miserable to me."

"But you'd never know it," Tori points out. "Not with Beck. He's the happiest guy I know. He loves his job and he loves his boys, and he works so damn hard to take care of them. And that's why, Jade, you have to be so careful with him."

"Vega, we've been on two dates. Two. And we haven't even _kissed_ for Christ's sake." Jade tries to downplay the relationship, but inside she knows more than well that she has scarily intense feelings for Beck.

"Two dates is more than he's ever been on with anyone besides Leslie. He knows that—for the boys' sake—he can't even think about dating anyone who he's not going to be serious with. He's a great guy. But you just have to be careful with him. If you're not...there's no one to take care of him when it all falls apart."

Tori's words sink in for Jade like she hadn't known they could. She realizes that it's no wonder Beck didn't kiss her; he's trying to decide whether she's the kind of girl that he could meet his kids and be good with them. Just that _idea_ freaks her out more than she's willing to admit. She doesn't know that she's that kind of girl.

What she does know is that she has to ends things with Beck before he gets the impression that she is.

Saturday brings the Blue Moon Festival, so the Oliver household is up earlier than usual. A wildly excited Finn comes blazing into his father's room and hops onto the bed. "It's festival day!" He shouts, which Beck is certain wakes his younger son up.

"Yeah, it is. And your announcement of it just woke up Ezra, you squirm," he teases, pulling Finn into his arms to tickle him.

"Dad, stop!" The five-year-old giggles. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He squeals out.

"What's the magic password?"

"Dad rocks!" Finn yells, and Beck finally releases his laughing son. As soon as he sits up, Finn jumps onto his back for a ride to Ezra's room.

Beck grins and heads into the nursery, where, just as he'd suspected, the baby is standing up in his crib. "Hey, big guy." Ezra reaches for his dad and Beck uses one of his arms to lift him out.

"Dad, can we have pop tarts for breakfast?"

"Are you crazy? You're about to eat more hot dogs and popcorn and junk food than ever in your life today at the festival! How about some eggs and bacon, huh?" As soon as he's in the kitchen, Beck squats to let Finn off of his back.

"Okay," he agrees. "When do we get to go?"

"It doesn't start until noon, buddy. So we can go in a few hours." Beck sets Ezra into his high chair and starts working on breakfast.

"A few _hours_? What are we gonna do until then?"

"We've got tons to do! We can work on your letters; I know Mrs. Penny wants you guys to practice writing so that you'll be ready for first grade, right?"

"But Dad, I'm already really good!"

"I know you are." He quickly chops up a banana and sets it in front of Ezra. "But the other day I'm pretty sure you wrote 'bad' instead of 'dad'," Beck jokes.

"Well d's and b's are hard."

"Exactly, that's why we practice!"

"Dad?"

"What's up?"

"Are Uncle Andre and Aunt Tori going to the festival?"

"Yep! Aunt Tori's even going to be on TV for a little while because she's doing the news story on the festival."

By the time Finn has asked a few more questions about what a news story is, Beck has brought two plates of eggs, toast, and bacon to the table. "Ezra," Finn says, holding up a strip of his bacons the thirteen-month-old's face. "Say _bacon_."

"Ba!" He giggles out the word that they've learned he calls all foods.

"Ezra, Ezra," Finn persists. "Who am I?" He points to himself.

"Dih!" He shouts.

"Good boy," his older brother cheers even for the odd pronunciation of his name, and Beck laughs when Finn ruffles Ezra's hair like a dog. "Now, who's that?" He points to his dad now, and Ezra looks at Beck excitedly.

"Da-da!"

"Yeah!" Beck grins and leans over to kiss his younger son's cheek.

Their breakfast fun continues into the morning, until it's time for Ezra's first nap. Beck and Finn work on his letters for about an hour, and by that time his oldest son is dying to get dressed and ready for the festival. Around noon, they leave the house to make the ten minute trip into town. Beck carries Ezra and Finn hops along beside him, eager as ever to get to get there.

The whole town (albeit its small size) is out and ready for a day of fun, but luckily Beck finds Tori and Andre rather quickly.

"Hi!" Finn bounces towards the couple and throws himself into their arms.

"Hey, guys!" Andre says, reaching his hand out to tickle Ezra's tummy. "How's it going?"

"I'm just excited we're finally here! I think Finn would have exploded if we'd had to wait another second."

"Uncle Andre!" His son shouts in perfect timing. "Can we do the ferris wheel?"

"Of course we can! Beck, I've got him; text me when you want this knuckle head back," he laughs and swings Finn up to sit on his shoulders.

"Alright. Finn, be good!"

"I will!"

"You know," Tori says in her mischievous voice as Andre and Finn walk away, "Jade is here today."

"What?" Beck turns his head both ways out of instinct. "She's here? Now? Today? At the festival?"

"Woah, Beck, it's not like she's bringing a bomb."

He scratches his head. "Sorry. I just... I wasn't expecting to see her. Is she coming to do photography?"

"Yep, the The Daily Summit hired her to cover the festival again. Is everything okay with you two?"

"Yeah, of course. I mean, I like her. A lot. It's just that she hasn't exactly met the boys yet. We've only been on two dates so I wasn't planning on making that move until I got to talk to Finn about it and make sure he was comfortable."

"Oh, yeah. Well, it's not like Finn will get any hint that you're dating her unless you explicitly mention it. He's five; he won't know."

"Yeah, you're right. Well then, wish me luck."

"Wish _you_ luck? I'm the one who's going to be on TV as a news anchor during a major event for the first time ever!"

Beck laughs. "Right again. Good luck, Tor. Break a leg."

"Thanks! See ya later, and good luck with Jade!"

Tori walks off then, leaving Beck and Ezra to explore the festival. "Alright, Ez, can you help Dad keep an eye out for a pretty girl?"

The baby bounces in Beck's arms. "Da-da," is his toothy-grin reply.

Beck laughs. "I'll take that as a yes."

Meanwhile, Jade is by the cotton candy machine, snapping photos of the giddy kids getting the pink and blue fluff. She sees kids and families everywhere, which inevitably reminds her of Beck—which then reminds her of the sick feeling she gets about having to tell him she's not the girl for him.

For the next forty-five minutes, she replays what she's going to say to him on their next date. She's so distracted in her thoughts that very obvious idea that Beck is probably _here at the festival _doesn't even cross her mind. Suffice it to say that she nearly drops her (very expensive) camera when she sees him.

She would turn around, but she can see from just his backside that he's wearing a plaid button-up, and all of her hormones scream at her to go get a better look. Jade walks towards the petting zoo—she had planned to take pictures there next anyways—and Beck turns just in time to see her.

"Jade!" He calls, and she looks up at him as if she hadn't noticed him already. She smiles at him, and when her eyes fall down and a little to the side of his face, she thinks she might pass out. Jade has never been one to love kids—or even maybe ever want one of her own—but those female hormones kick up another notch at the sight of him with a baby in his arms.

Beck. In his plaid shirt. And his freshly cut hair down. Holding an admittedly adorable baby.

She instantly shoves the idea about telling him she's not the girl for him out of her head. That will have to wait.

"I didn't know you were coming," Beck says, and there's something sentimental in his voice, like he's glad she did come anyway. "You look beautiful."

Jade curses herself for blushing. "So, uh, I see you've got a little mini-me." In actuality, the only thing Beck and the baby have in common is their eye color and a few facial structures. He does have his dad's thick hair, but it's a much lighter shade of brown. His skin is pretty fair, too.

"Yeah. Jade, this is my son, Ezra." He looks down at the one-year-old. "Can you wave hi to Jade?"

Rather than responding, Ezra smiles shyly and buries his head in Beck's chest. Jade's heartbeat picks up and she has no idea why. "Aw, don't be shy," Beck coos, and tickles his son to get a response. Ezra giggles and Jade can't help but laugh. "His brother is the outgoing one. Finn," Beck explains. "He's with Andre right now, getting some energy out while probably eating massive amounts of hot dogs."

"Kid stuff," Jade reasons.

Beck grins. "Kid stuff."

"Da-da, ooo!" Beck looks down at his son to see that Ezra is looking over Beck's shoulder and pointing to the animals inside the zoo.

"Are you," Beck asks, looking back at Jade, "going in?"

"That's my job," she says with a smile as she holds up her camera.

He smiles back, and she follows him into the gated area. Jade starts taking pictures right away, as there are several other kids and parents in the petting zoo. Beck takes Ezra over to the baby chicks and sets him down to play. He keeps his hands on Ezra's stomach or arms, since he hasn't yet mastered walking, and the baby is ecstatic. "Da-da!" He shrieks, scaring off a few chicks and making Beck laugh.

"Look, buddy." Beck easily scoops a chick up and pulls his arm around Ezra so he can use both hands to hold the animal. He inches his hands closer to his son and Ezra grabs onto Beck's shirt in hesitation. Jade comes in perfect timing to get a candid picture of him showing Ezra the chick. She stays with them as they explore the baby goats, pigs, and bunnies, and by that point everyone is starting to get hungry.

Jade accepts the offer to have lunch with Tori, Andre, Beck, and the boys, but there's still a churning in her stomach. Meeting Ezra today is one thing, because he's little and she knows he has no idea what's going on. Meeting Beck's five-year-old, though, might leave her feeling horrible guilt about knowing she's going to end things with his dad in a few days.

She and Beck walk over to the picnic table that Andre, Tori, and Finn had saved, and Finn hops up towards his dad automatically. "Dad, look! I'm a dragon!" His entire face is painted, and Beck laughs before taking a quick picture on his phone.

"You know what that means?"

"What?"

"That means our game tonight is going to be _extra_ intense. You're basically a real dragon!"

Finn's mouth drops open and he starts jumping up and down. "Can you get your face painted like the knight?! And we can get Ezra painted like a princess? Please, Dad!?"

Beck laughs again and ruffles his son's hair. "I'll do a knight, but no way am I torturing your brother like that."

"Wait," Andre intercedes, "what game is this?"

"Me and Dad play it!" Finn answers him. "Dad is the knight, and he has to rescue the princess—which is Ezra, because there's nobody else to play it—and then I'm the dragon." On his last word, he leans towards Andre with clawed hands.

"Hey, buddy," Beck says to get Finn's attention, "this is Jade. She's a friend of mine and Aunt Tori and Uncle Andre's."

"Hi," he says in a friendly voice.

"Hi, Finn." She waves at him and sits down next to Beck, across from Tori. The lunch conversation is lively, as usual. Beck is sure not to show any signs of affection that might alert Finn to anything unusual, but he does rest his hand gently on Jade's knee under the table for a bit.

On their next date, he takes her to a cozy restaurant inside a mountain lodge on Peak 8. It's rustic and homey, and the place itself reminds Jade of him. She doesn't tell Beck about her hesitation with his kids; she can't decide whether she's more afraid of being his girlfriend or of ending the relationship, so she makes no move.

This date is even better than the first two, and when he walks her to her door that night, Beck cups both of her cheeks and kisses her. Jade's hands go to his hair and his arms move to wrap around her and it's a little (a lot) less polite than he'd planned it to be, but he's way too attracted to her for him to hold it back much more.

He's never had this feeling of euphoria, and it surprises him when they finally pull away for air and there's still sexual tension between them.

He's still holding her and their faces are inches apart. "I had a great time with you tonight," he says, his heart still pounding. Neither of them wants anything more than for him to come inside and take her to her room, but they both know it can't happen.

Somehow, that makes everything seem more exciting.

"I'll call you tomorrow."

"Okay."

Beck kisses her nose and then her lips lightly once more before making himself release her. "Goodnight," he says with a smile.

"Goodnight, Beck."

The next morning, he wakes up still smiling. Finn comes into the master bedroom around 7:30 and hops into bed with his dad. After a bit of small talk, Beck takes a pause and decides to test the waters a bit. "Hey, Finn?"

"Yeah?"

"Remember Jade? You met her at the Blue Moon Festival?"

"Aunt Tori's friend?"

"Uh-huh, and mine and Uncle Andre's."

"Yeah, I remember her."

"Did you like her?"

He shrugs. "I guess so."

"How would you feel if, maybe, she was around more?"

"At our house?"

"Sure. Just, in general. She's my friend and I like her."

"No. I don't think so."

Beck furrows his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"I like it how it is now. I like you and me and Ezra, and Aunt Tori and Uncle Andre."

"Oh. Okay."

"I'm gonna go see if Ezra's awake yet," Finn says, as if their conversation had never happened. He darts out of the room and Beck flops onto his back.

That definitely didn't go as planned.

* * *

**Title is a song by Frank Sinatra.**

**Thoughts on this update?**


	3. Chapter III

**I am getting the completely insane idea to turn this into an actual multi-chaptered story rather than a five-shot, or whatever the hell I had originally planned for this thing to be. Someone stop me before I lose my f'ing mind.**

* * *

_Chapter III_

_Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight_

.

After dropping Finn off at school, Beck makes the drive to his office for work. Hard as he tries not to worry, his son's comments from this morning are really getting to him.

What would he do if Finn really doesn't want Jade in his life? Would Finn _ever_ be okay with Beck dating? And, most pressingly, what will it take for him to convince his son that he'll never let another woman like Leslie into his life again?

Beck realizes that Finn's only impression of a woman-in-a-motherly-figure is his own mom, who set a terrible example for what a mother should be like. But he hadn't known that that would scare his son into never wanting another mom.

Over the next several days, Beck and Jade rarely break conversation. She comes by to bring him lunch at his office on Friday, and—in just the month that he's known her—he's learned to love and look forward to the moments he gets to talk to or see her.

As soon as she opens the door, Beck drops his pencil and looks up to see her. "Hi," he says, getting up from his chair. She leans over his desk to kiss him, and he wonders when she got the ability to make his whole day better with just one action. "How's your day?"

"Busy; I've had three shoots just this morning." She sets their take-out on his now cleared desk and walks to where Ezra is sitting in his bouncer. She gently scratches his little chest and smiles at him, and Beck wishes he could see her do that all the time.

After work that day, he decides to call Andre to ask for a favor. Luckily, his best friend picks up on the first ring.

"Hey man, what's up?"

"Hey, I was wondering if maybe you could do something for me."

"Sure. What's going on?"

"Things have been going well with Jade, you know. And I was talking to Finn a few days ago about what he thought about having her around more, and he didn't really like the idea. I'm sure it's because of Leslie, but I really want some more details about how he's feeling. Do you think you could talk to him?"

"Of course. I'd be happy to. How about I pick him up from school today?"

"That sounds great. Thanks so much, Andre."

"Anything for my best friend. I'll drop him off later."

"Perfect."

True to his word, Andre arrives at Breckenridge Elementary in time to pick Finn up from school. The kindergartener, who is doubly excited about the fact that it's Friday and that his uncle is here to get him, hops into the back seat of the car.

"Hey, bud! How was school today?"

"It was good," he answers. "I drew my letters really good today and I played kickball at recess."

"That's awesome! You up for some ice cream?"

Finn gasps. "Really?!"

"Yeah!"

"Yes, yes! Yes, please!"

Andre chuckles and pulls shortly after into the parking lot for an old fashioned diner. After getting seated in a booth, they order their sundaes and Andre gets started on what he knows he has to talk about.

"So, how'd you like the festival this year?"

"I loved it," the five-year-old answers. "I won so much stuff, and I even won two goldfish that Dad said we can take care of! And then I played in the moon bounce for a really long time."

"The food was pretty good, too."

"Uh-huh."

"Did you like having lunch with me, Aunt Tori, your dad, and Jade?"

"I guess so. But I don't really know Jade."

"She's my friend. I think she's really nice."

"Dad said that, too. She's okay, I guess."

"So, say all of us were to go to dinner again. Would you be okay if she came?"

Finn shrugs his shoulders. "I would like it better if she didn't."

"How come?" The waitress sets their ice cream in front of them and neither of them waits to dig in. Finn, however, uses it as an excuse to avoid his uncle's question. "Why do you think don't you want Jade around?" Andre probes, hoping to get a response.

Finn takes a few minutes to reply, but it's worth Andre's patience. "Because she's gonna make Dad sad."

Andre nods his head. "What makes you think that?"

"Well, the last girl that Dad liked was my mom. And she made him sad." Finn takes a bite of his ice cream, but he won't meet Andre's eyes. "She would cry a lot and she was never home. And she yelled at me and Dad a lot."

"Yeah. I'm still sorry about that, buddy."

"It's okay." He finally looks up at Andre with his big, green eyes. "I don't like my mom. But I love Dad, and I don't want anyone to make him sad again."

"And you think Jade might make him sad?"

He shrugs. "I guess so."

"I understand that. Did Jade seem mean at all when you met her at lunch?" Finn shakes his head. "So maybe she's nice, right?"

"Yeah, maybe."

Beck isn't surprised to hear Andre's re-telling of the conversation later that day when he drops Finn off. He's disappointed, and certainly angry with Leslie, but he can't say he's shocked by his son's thoughts. He's determined to make Finn understand that he doesn't have to worry about any of that with Jade. But, more importantly and before he's able to do that, he wants to be beyond positive that his faith in Jade is well placed. He can't let down his son with something this big, or he might never forgive himself.

Another month passes by, and Beck is becoming increasingly sure that Jade is the girl he wants. She's not easy—they don't even get along all of the time or agree about anything—but they can always have fun together. She gets his sense of humor and she knows how to turn him on. She's gorgeous and talented and sensitive, and she's usually in denial of all three of those things. As scary as the idea seems, he knows that it's time to introduce her as more than a friend to Finn.

He calls her on Friday afternoon when he knows she'll be done with her last shoot for the day. "Hello?"

"Hi, beautiful."

"Ugh," he hears her feign annoyance. "I don't know if I can keep dating you if you're always so cheesy with me."

He chuckles. "How'd your shoot go?"

"It was cute, just a family doing pictures together. The kids were good, which made my life easier."

"Glad to hear it."

"What's up? How was Finn's dentist appointment?"

"The appointment was fine. The hour _after_ the appointment was the interesting part. They gave him laughing gas while doing a little procedure in his mouth, so he didn't stop giggling for about forty-five minutes after we left. Ezra thought it was hilarious, and I did too, at first. But after a little while, I thought I was going to lose my mind."

Jade laughs and wishes she could have been there; she loves seeing (a rarely) impatient Beck. "Anyway, I was wondering if you had plans tomorrow morning?"

"Not any that are solid. Why?"

"Well, I was thinking maybe you could join our run? I'll have the boys in the stroller, and we run past your house anyways, so you could just come out and meet us. And then we could get lunch afterwards."

"Okay. Yeah, that sounds nice. What time?"

"Is ten okay?"

"Works for me."

"Oh, and, Jade?"

"Yes?"

"Tomorrow, at lunch, I want to tell Finn about us."

Jade pauses. "Tell him about us?"

"Yeah. He thinks that you're my friend, and nothing more. But I want him to know that we're dating. Is that okay with you?"

"Beck Oliver, are you asking if you can be my boyfriend?"

He can hear her smirk through the phone and he doesn't know how she knows how to drive him so crazy. "That depends. Is your answer yes?"

"I suppose that wouldn't be too bad," she says, and she's glad he can't see he huge smile on her face.

"So then I guess I'll be seeing my beautiful girlfriend tomorrow morning?"

Jade rolls her eyes, but the smile stays. "You will be."

"Can't wait. I'll see you then."

"Okay, have fun with the boys tonight."

"Thanks, I will." He ends the call, and he flips between nervous and excited for the rest of the night.

The following morning, he tells Finn while they're both tying their tennis shoes that someone else is going to come with them today. "Who?" He asks.

"Jade. I invited her to run with us, and then we can all get lunch together afterwards, okay?"

Finn sighs. "Does she have to come?"

"I really want her to, buddy. And I already asked her and she said yes, so she's coming. It's going to be fun, I promise."

Finn, despite his hesitation, nods his head and follows Beck into Ezra's room to get his younger brother. Beck changes his diaper and clothes quickly, and then straps both boys into the double stroller with a few snacks and their sippy cups.

As expected, Jade comes out of her house just after Beck makes it there. She's wearing yoga pants and a tank top with a jacket over it, and Beck thinks she's intentionally trying to kill him with how good she looks in her running gear. She says hi to Finn, who doesn't give much of a response, and tickles Ezra before walking to where Beck is standing behind the stroller.

"Morning," he says, and wraps an arm around her waist to pull her in. He pecks her lips and his day is already better. "You ready?"

"Yeah, let's go."

Ten miles later, they finish at a cafe that they pick to have lunch at. Beck gets Ezra out of the stroller while Finn unstraps himself, and they're seated as soon as they walk into the restaurant. At the square-shaped table, Beck sits on the side between Jade and Finn. When the waiter brings the high chair and naturally sets it between Beck and Jade, neither of them says anything to prevent any awkwardness. Beck sets Ezra in the seat and the baby is happily babbling away.

"Finn, you remember Jade, right?"

The five-year-old nods his head. "How does Ezra know her?"

Beck is confused until he looks to the other side of him and sees his younger son grinning at Jade. Ezra is reaching for her, so Jade gives him her hand to play with. "Well," Beck explains, "you know how Ezra comes to work with me unless he's with Grandma?" Finn nods again. "Sometimes, Jade comes by the office to visit me. So your brother sees her a lot."

"Oh."

The waitress comes back to take their orders and Finn is noticeably less enthusiastic than usual when he orders his hamburger. Beck has known for a while now, though, that this would be a struggle with his older son—and he is determined to help Finn get past it. But when he asks to get up and go to the bathroom, Jade puts her hand over Beck's as soon as he's gone.

"Not today," she says quietly.

"What?"

"Don't do it today, babe. He's not comfortable. He's been awkward about this whole situation since you guys picked me up."

"But, I—"

"I know. But maybe tell him later, when it's just the two of you."

"You think so?"

"I really do. He doesn't want to hear what you have to say about us right now. Besides," she jokes, "at least one of your sons likes me." They both look at Ezra, who is still fascinated with Jade's other hand. Beck smiles and leans over to kiss her cheek.

"Okay. I won't mention it." Finn comes back a few minutes later, and when he still doesn't seem like himself, Beck is sure that Jade was right. "So, buddy, how about you tell us about your music class? You said you've been liking the piano, right?"

Again, Finn nods.

"You know, Jade plays the piano just like Uncle Andre. She's really good."

"Can you read music?" Finn's voice is small, but Beck is just thankful that he's speaking.

"Yeah, I can," Jade answers. "Have you guys been doing that in your music class?" Finn nods again. "Well that's good, because your dad can help you with your homework, right?" Beck laughs, and Finn shakes his head. "What's so funny?"

Her boyfriend shrugs. "I never learned music theory. I've always played by memory."

"What? Then how do you learn new pieces?"

"I hear it, and then I mimic it. Which is cool for me, but I guess it's a bummer for Finn." Beck smiles at his son. "But, you know, buddy, if you ever have any questions about it, I bet Jade would be a really good person to ask."

"I can ask Uncle Andre," is all Finn says, and Beck almost laughs at how curt the little boy's replies are today.

The rest of their lunch conversation follows the same suit, with Finn on edge the whole time. Ezra is giddy as ever, and pays more attention to Jade than he does to Beck, Finn, and his food combined. This makes Finn upset, but it puts Beck over the moon.

That night, after Ezra is asleep and Beck is in Finn's room to tuck him in, he reads his older son a story before bed. When they're done, Finn looks up at Beck with curious eyes. "Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Why did Jade come on the run and to eat with us today?"

Beck sighs and pulls his son closer to him. "Well," he starts, "you know how Uncle Andre and Aunt Tori are best friends? And how they like to do stuff together and be around each other?"

"Yeah. And they kiss?"

"Yeah," Beck answers, stifling a laugh, "they kiss, too. That is, sort of, how me and Jade are. I like Jade as more than a friend, and she likes me like that, too."

"And you like to be together?"

"Yeah, we like to be together."

"Do you kiss, too?"

Beck should have seen that coming, and, if that's how his son puts a relationship into words, he wants to be honest. "Yeah, we kiss. But the thing is, buddy: Jade isn't the only one I like to be around. My favorite people in the whole world to be with are you and Ezra. So I don't want you to think that because I like Jade means that I love you boys any less. Does that make sense?"

Finn nods his head, and, that night, Beck ends up staying in his room to sleep. A few days later, Beck is cooking dinner when he gets a phone call from Breckenridge Elementary. "Hello?"

"Hi, is this Mr. Oliver?"

"Yes it is," he says in a friendly voice. "Can I help you?"

"This is Deliah Penny," the kind woman informs him. He's always liked Finn's teacher.

"Oh, Deliah, how are you?"

"I'm great, and yourself?"

"Doing well, thanks."

"Good. I'm sorry to say that I'm calling you under not-so fortunate circumstances." Beck sets down the spoon he'd been using to stir the pasta with.

"Is everything okay with Finn?" He's glad that's his curious five-year-old is in his room, or else he's not sure how he would get the privacy for this conversation.

"Yes. It's nothing too urgent," Deliah promises. "But I was calling to see if you wouldn't mind coming in to meet with me sometime this week. I'm free tomorrow at noon, if that works for you. Otherwise, we can discuss another time."

"Tomorrow will do," he replies.

"Great. Thanks so much; I'll see you then."

Beck can barely sleep through the night, much less make it through his morning at work. His mom has Ezra for the day, so he goes to Finn's school empty-handed to meet Deliah Penny for their conference.

"Beck! It's great to see you."

"Good to see you too," he says, masking his nerves well behind a smile. He sits across from her desk and she folds her hands neatly in front of her.

"Finn has always been one of my best students. He's always prepared, he's kind, he's well-like by the other students, and he's very sweet."

"Thank you."

"Of course. The reason I called you in is that, lately, he has seemed a little off. He's not himself, and I wasn't sure if that was something that was just happening at school or if it was the same at home."

Beck runs his hand through his hair. He doesn't know if it's necessarily appropriate to explain his dating life—and the recent situation with Jade—but he's not sure how else to address the problem. Luckily, she speaks again before he does.

"If it helps explain anything, there's something I want to show you." She reaches into her desk and pulls out a piece of white construction paper. "I asked the kids to draw a picture of their family. This was Finn's."

When Beck looks at the drawing, he first sees his son's name at the top. Underneath, standing on little green lines of grass, are stick figures of the Oliver boys. Underneath each figure, he'd written "Dad," "Finn," and "Ezra." Beck smiles at the sight, but his heart sinks as soon as he looks off to the side.

Drawn inches away from his little family is another stick figure—one drawn in red. Even if Finn wouldn't have written her name underneath, the person's long, brown hair gives her away. Beck sighs and looks back up at Deliah, who's giving him a look of genuine sympathy.

"I recently started seeing someone," he begins. "A woman who I am completely confident is good for my sons. We'd been dating for a while when I decided to tell Finn about us. He had already met her several times at this point. He took it...decently...but he has been acting funny ever since."

"Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"

"No, go ahead."

"Is...Finn's mother..." Deliah seems unsure of how to finish her sentence.

"She's not in the picture," Beck answers. "She left us a over a year ago, and she was never present even when she _was_ his mother."

"I'm so sorry to hear that."

"Thank you. It's been a little rough on my own, that's for sure. Which is partially why I've been hoping that Finn will grow to feel more comfortable with me dating someone."

"Of course. Thank you for coming in, Beck. And if there's anything I can do to make things easier for Finn—or if you have any questions—please don't hesitate to call."

"Thank you. And thank you for your call," Beck says, rising from his chair with the drawing still in his hand. When he gets back to his office, he sets the picture on his desk and tries to think of anything he could possibly do to put his son at ease. He's so caught up in his thoughts that he completely forgets that Jade had texted that she was coming by to see him.

She walks into his office and he looks up to see her. "Hi," she says, shutting the door behind her. Beck grabs the paper as soon as she turns around, but she's facing him again quickly enough to see his oddly quick movement. "What was that?"

"It's nothing," he lies, but he can see from the look on her face that she doesn't believe him. "It's nothing, I promise."

"If it's nothing, why are you hiding it?"

Beck notices that, even though he knows she's trying to convey the opposite, her expression is more hurt than angry. That upsets him more than any alternative. "Sit down," he says softly. "I promise I'll explain."

Jade does as he asks and pulls a chair up to sit next to him. "Finn's teacher called me yesterday and asked me to come in for a parent-teacher conference."

"I take it it didn't go well?"

Beck sighs. "They had to draw their families in class." He reluctantly shows her the picture and her face falls while her heart sinks. "Jade, I—"

"No, it's okay." She gets a sick feeling in her stomach and she hands him back the drawing. "Beck, I don't think that this is going to work." Jade's not sure if she hates the words she just said or the look on his face more.

"Jade, no. No, I know this is a lot, but we knew it would be hard. We knew he was a little uncomfortable with the idea, because of Leslie. But please, babe. Please don't do this." He's holding her hand tighter, now, and she has to close her eyes to prevent herself from making a decision just based on the look on his face.

"You can't ignore the fact that he doesn't like me, Beck. He just doesn't."

"I know. But he wouldn't like anyone. What am I supposed to do, Jade? Should I just let you walk out of this office and lose the only woman I've cared so much about that it actually scares me?"

Her heart is beating faster now and every sensible bone in her body tells her to get up and leave before her feelings get in the way.

"I'm willing to try," he says, "if you are, too."

"I don't want to push it, Beck."

"We'll take it slow. As slow as we can. I think we can do that, don't you? I mean, I waited three whole dates to kiss you." He grins. "You've got to give me some credit for that, right?"

When she finally gives him a hint of a smile, he leans in for a kiss and she doesn't have the gut to pull away from him. "Everything will be fine. Trust me." Beck pulls her onto his lap and they end up kissing until their lips are practically bruised and swollen.

"God," Jade says into his mouth, "what are we, horny teenagers?"

He kisses her again and her mind blurs and she's really, _really_ glad she didn't leave. "Just horny," Beck jokes.

By the time he gets home that day, he's come up with a plan that might help make Finn feel more comfortable. That Friday, Beck tells his kindergartener that he'll be picking him up from school early.

"Why?"

"It's a surprise!"

"Are we going somewhere?"

"We are."

"Who's going?"

"Me, and you, and Ezra, and Jade." Finn sighs, and Beck reaches out to hold his hand in the back seat of the truck. "Buddy, I promise it's going to be fun, okay? You love this place."

"Okay."

"Okay. I love you. Have a good day, and I'll see you after lunch!"

"I love you too," Finn says before getting out of the car.

When Beck goes into the school office to sign his son out, he's greeted by all of the staff. Finn's teacher walks him in minutes later and says goodbye to Beck and her little student before returning to her classroom. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah," Finn answers, and takes his dad's hand to walk out to the car. When Beck opens the door for him to climb in, Finn sees Jade in the passenger's seat.

"Hi, Finn."

"Hi."

"Did your dad tell you where we're going?"

"No."

"I think you're going to like it," Jade tells him, but the five-year-old doesn't reply. Ezra shrieks and starts to babble from his car seat, and Finn is annoyed when Jade smiles at the baby. She wants to be bothered by how little Finn is even _trying_ with her, but she reminds herself of all that he's been through and takes a few deep breaths to regain her patience. She actually impresses herself with how good she's gotten at it.

They make more small talk on the way there, but Finn is mostly quiet until he sees the sign with all of the animals drawn around it. "Are we going to the zoo?" He exclaims.

"Yep!" Beck grins and turns around to pat his son's leg. "Told you you'd like it!"

"Can we get hats again?"

"For sure," his dad promises. Once they've parked, Beck pulls the stroller out of the truck's bed and Jade gets Ezra out of his car seat. She buckles him into his side of the stroller and he fusses about not being in her arms until she hands him a bag of baby snacks to munch on. Finn decides to walk alongside his dad, opposite of the side Jade is on.

Beck pays for their entry to the park, and they start at the monkey display. They see a few more animals before getting to the exotic birds. Ezra shouts to get out of his seat, so Beck pulls him out and holds him as they walk into the gated area of the bird exhibit. "Dad, look at the red one!" Finn says, pointing up at one of the animals.

"Yeah, he's a cool one! Look, buddy, put some food in your hand and they'll come over and eat it."

"Here, babe," Jade offers, holding out her arms for Ezra, "I'll take him." The one-year-old goes gladly into Jade's arms and Beck kisses her briefly. Both of them miss Finn's irritated expression, but Beck turns in time to help him get some food in his hand.

"Now just hold your hand out and wait right here, and they'll come over and get it," Beck explains. Just as he'd said, a colorful bird appears on Finn's arm and starts to peck at his hand. He giggles and turns around to face Beck and Jade. Beck pulls out his phone to take a picture, but just before he does, Finn shakes his arm wildly in the direction of Jade's body.

Jade's instincts kick in and she moves to the side immediately, but that doesn't stop Ezra from starting to cry. The bird flaps away from them quickly, and Beck turns to his son. "Finn, why did you do that? You scared your brother, buddy!"

Finn shrugs his shoulders and watches as Jade calms Ezra down. "I didn't mean to."

Beck puts his arm around Jade and rubs her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she promises him, and continues bouncing Ezra until he stops crying.

"I'm so sorry, Jade. Finn, will you please apologize to Jade and your brother?"

Finn shrugs again. "Sorry."

Beck sighs and checks on Jade and Ezra again. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I promise." Beck looks down at his son, whose head is rested on Jade's shoulder as he clings to her arm. Beck rubs his back softly and kisses his little forehead, and the four of them leave the bird exhibit.

As they walk to the next area to see the flamingos, it's clear that everyone is still a bit on edge. Jade sets Ezra down so that he and Finn can take a picture in front of the animals, and Beck is opening his phone's camera app when Finn lets go of his little brother's hand and darts off in the opposite direction.

"Finn!" Beck yells, running after his son. "Finn, come back!" He swerves between people to catch up to the very fast five-year-old, and when he finally gets ahold of him he pulls Finn into his arms. "What was that for?"

Finn smiles. "I saw the ice cream truck and I wanted one!"

"Finn," Beck says in a chiding voice, "you know better than to run off from me! What if you had gotten lost? How would you find me again?"

"I don't want to find you."

This stuns Beck into speechlessness, and he sighs deeply before pulling out his phone again. He sends a quick text to Jade to apologize and ask if she minds watching Ezra while he talks to Finn for a bit. She replies for him not to worry, and Beck takes Finn's hand and walks with him over to a bench.

Jade, meanwhile, picks Ezra back up and pushes the stroller into the nearby exhibit. She walks into a tunnel made completely of glass, so that patrons can see the fish from every angle. Ezra kicks his feet and fusses to get out, so she lifts him out and holds him.

While the baby points to the animals and babbles, Jade wonders when on earth it started feeling so good to have him in her arms. She's not the boy's mother, and yet she feels comfortable holding him and treating him as if he were her own son. That thought is enough to scare her, and she remembers how she was supposed to tell Beck _months ago_ that she didn't think she was the right girl to take care of his sons.

Ezra giggles at a nearby fish, shaking her from her thoughts and making her heart happy like only a few people ever have.

"Can we talk?" Beck's question comes in a soft voice, but Finn doesn't choose to answer. "Buddy, I'd really like to talk to you. You haven't been acting like yourself lately." Finn still stays quiet. "Hey," Beck says, nudging him gently, "who's my best friend?"

Finn lets out a small sigh. "Me."

"That's right. And don't best friends talk when one of them isn't okay?" The five-year-old nods his head. "So, let's talk. Tell me what's up. Why did you say you wouldn't want to find me?"

Finn stares at the ground. "It's not you that I don't want to find."

"It's Jade?"

"Yeah." He pauses, as if he's deciding whether or not to tell his dad something. "I thought if I was bad, she wouldn't like you anymore."

"Ah." Beck puts his arm around Finn and leans back on the bench. He contemplates telling him about Mrs. Penny showing him the family picture, but he doesn't want to embarrass his son when he knows he's already feeling vulnerable. "Do you want to tell me why you don't like Jade?" He asks instead. "Did she do something to hurt you or make you sad?"

"No. But I don't want you to be sad. I didn't like when you were sad."

"Yeah, I didn't like when I was sad either," Beck tells him. "Do you think I'm sad when I'm with Jade?"

"No."

"Are you sad when you're around Jade?"

Finn shakes his head. "But what if she leaves, Dad? Or what if she yells at me?"

His questions nearly break Beck's heart, and he pulls Finn in for a hug so that his son doesn't have to watch him fight tears. "Buddy," he says once they pull back, "I promise you: Jade is nothing like the person that you used to call your mom. Nothing at all."

"So...it's okay to like her?"

Beck smiles. "Yes, it's okay to like her."

"Sometimes I think I like her, but then I get scared."

"You don't have to be scared, Finn. I promise. I like her, and I don't seem sad, right?"

"Yeah."

"And Ezra likes her, and he doesn't seem sad, right?"

"Yeah."

"So it's okay if you want to like Jade, too. I think she likes you."

Finn looks up at Beck with the cutest confused expression he's ever seen. "Even after I pushed the bird at her?"

Beck laughs and hugs Finn again. "Even after that."

"Okay. Can we see her and Ezra now?"

"Yeah, we can," Beck says, grinning. "Want me to tell them to meet us at the bears?"

"Yeah, the bears!" Finn exclaims, and stands up on the bench. "Can I have a piggy back ride?"

"Always," Beck promises, and bends to let his son hop on. When they get to the black bear exhibit, Jade and Ezra are already there. While Finn runs over to see his little brother in the stroller, Beck walks straight to Jade and pulls her in for a hug. "I'm so sorry."

"You don't have to apologize," she tells him. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's great. I think things will be better now." Beck kisses her lips, and then they turn towards the boys to lift them up so they can see the bears.

Later that evening, after Beck has put the boys to sleep, he calls Jade. He wishes she were here with him, to cuddle on the couch and then join him in his bed, but he knows that he has to take baby steps for Finn's sake. And while today proved to be signs of progress, Beck knows that Jade staying the night might be pushing the envelope too far for his five-year-old. He's just eternally grateful that Jade is so understanding of that.

"Hey."

He smiles as soon as he hears her voice. "Hi. I miss you."

"I know the feeling."

"I didn't get the chance to say thank you for today."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I want to thank you for how good you were with the boys today. Finn was basically out to get you, and it didn't send you running for the hills."

"No, it didn't."

"I was really scared that it would, Jade. I don't want to lose you." She doesn't say anything for a few seconds, so he keeps talking. "I'm sorry that comes off as too intense. I know we've only been dating for a few months, but I just... I really don't want to lose you. And when I saw how you were with Ezra today, it was like this kind of relief washed over me. I don't know if I can really explain it, but—"

"Beck—"

"I'm sorry. I know I'm rambling."

"It's okay. You're kind of sexy when you ramble."

Beck runs his hand through his hair. God, does he wish Jade was here with him now. Having her frequent his dreams just isn't as good as what he imagines sleeping beside her would be.

Less than a week later, Finn has off from school because the teachers have some kind of workshop. There's no way Beck can get out of work, but his parents are out of town and Tori and Andre are swamped with their own lives. Lucky for him, his girlfriend is able to rearrange her schedule to come over and stay with the boys for the day.

She walks in through the front door at eight in the morning, and the day that could either go so well or so terribly wrong begins.

* * *

**Title is a song by James Taylor. **

**Thoughts?**


	4. Chapter IV

.

_Chapter IV_

_Hard Times Come Again No More_

.

The second Jade walks through the front door, she recognizes the smell. Beck has always smelled a bit mountainy and rustic—and now she knows it's because his house carries the same scent. It's comforting. Another comforting thing is the fact that Ezra goes wild as soon as he sees her.

The baby is sitting in his bouncer happily, and he suddenly starts to kick his legs furiously into the floor to bounce himself up and down. He babbles excitedly and grins at Jade, making it practically impossible for her not to go over and get him. She sets her bag on the kitchen table and finally pulls Ezra into her arms.

"It's a good thing you're in such a great mood today," Jade tells the sixteen-month-old, "because your brother is probably going to give me hell." While she hopes that she's wrong about Finn, she's internally terrified that he might actually try to set her on fire or something. She wants to be angry with herself for fearing a five-year-old, because how ridiculous does that sound, but really she's just terrified of messing things up with Finn and having to end it with Beck.

Meanwhile, her boyfriend is in his older son's room, confirming just one last time that Finn will please be good for Jade. "Do I have to hang out with her?"

"Well, no," Beck answers. "Not if you don't want to. You can do your own thing; Jade won't mind that. But I promise that she's really cool. She even told me that she'd play Legos with you if you wanted to."

"She did?"

"Yup." Beck ruffles the little boy's hair. "One more thing, buddy: will you make sure to help her with Ezra if she needs it? You're such a good big brother, and I know you can be a great helper with him."

"I will," Finn promises.

"Thanks. I wish you and Ez could come with me today, but I've just got a few really important meetings that you guys would be really bored at." Beck smiles and takes Finn's hand to walk into the main living area, where Jade is holding Ezra. "Hi," he says, and kisses Jade's cheek. He looks at his younger son, who is smiling happily in her arms. "You really like Jade, don't you?"

Finn is still standing shyly next to Beck, so Jade pushes herself to smile at him. "Hi, Finn. I hope you don't mind me staying with you and Ezra for a few hours."

"It's okay," he replies.

"Okay, are you sure you've got this? If there are any emergencies, you can call me. And Tori also said she might be able to answer. And if Ezra needs his diaper changed, Mrs. Wheelan—nice, old lady next door—said that she can help." Beck moves to the kitchen counter, where he picks up a list he made. "Here's Ezra's nap time and a list of foods he likes to eat. You probably already know this stuff, but just in case."

"Everything will be fine," Jade promises, even though she's unsure of her own words. "Don't worry. I've got Finn to help me.

Beck takes a deep breath. "Okay. Thank you so much for doing this." He kisses Ezra's head and then Finn's, and pulls the five-year-old in for a hug. "You okay, buddy?" He nods his head confidently, which makes Beck feel better. "I'll be back soon. Have fun with Jade and Ez, okay?"

"Okay."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Beck grabs his keys, then, and gives the three people he's leaving at the house last kisses before heading out to his truck. The door shuts and the full reality of what Jade has gotten herself into sinks in.

Four hours. Four hours with a toddler and a kid who may or may not still hate her.

"So," she says, attempting to dispel the awkward silence, "have you had breakfast?"

"Not yet."

"I can make you something; what sounds good?"

"Do you know how to make a bagel?"

Jade almost spits back a sassy remark because, hello, she is twenty-three years old and of course she knows how to put two pieces of bread in a toaster, but she stops herself quickly. "I do." Unfortunately, making Finn's bagel is twice as hard when she has a baby in her arms. She sets Ezra back in his walker, and his older brother entertains him while Jade gets breakfast ready.

Once the boys are both fed and content, which Jade considers to be a huge accomplishment on her part, Finn asks her if she'd like a tour of the house. "I would like that, Finn," she tells him. "Thanks."

As reluctant as the kindergartner is to think it, he can't help but like the way Jade talks to him like an adult. She doesn't treat him like a baby—his biggest pet peeve. As they walk through the one-story house, Jade notices all of the cute personal touches. Finn's art hangs on the wall, alongside pictures of the boys. Beck is in some of them, as are Tori and Andre, and Jade loves how homey and soft the house feels. It's exactly how she'd pictured it after getting to know Beck.

"This is Dad's room," Finn gestures to the door on their right. "Then, down here is my room." Jade follows Finn into his bedroom, which is decorated like a forest of sorts. His bed is bear-themed, and his walls are a deep green. He has an entire shelf full of books, and Jade loves that she can picture Beck reading to him in her head.

"Wow, Finn. This is a really cool room." Ezra babbles from where he sits in her arms, but Jade keeps her eyes on the older boy.

"Thank you," he says proudly. "Do you want to see Ezra's room?"

"I'd love to."

They walk across the hall into the nursery, and Finn flicks on the lights. "This is where Ezra sleeps," he says, gesturing to the crib. "He still has to be in a crib because he's little. And look, here's the best part of his room." Finn turns on a little machine in the corner of the room and runs to switch off the light. The second it goes dark, Jade follows Ezra's gaze up to the ceiling to see a projection of stars. "He really likes it, and so do me and Dad. Sometimes, before he puts Ezra to sleep, we all lay on the ground and watch it."

Jade smiles at the thought, and Finn moves on to the next (and last) room that he'll show her. "This is the playroom," he explains, walking into the open area. "Well, and the music room. Dad keeps his guitars in here, and my guitar is here, too. And this is the piano that I practice on."

Jade raises an eyebrow. "Wanna play something for me?"

Finn scratches his head, just like she's seen his dad do a hundred times. "I don't know. I'm not very good. I just started playing this year."

"I'm sure you're great. And besides, you're learning to read music. So even if you're not the best now, you can get so much better by knowing the notes."

"Yeah. Are you sure you want to hear? I'm not as good as Uncle Andre."

Jade laughs. "I'm sure. Play me your favorite."

Finn sits down at the bench and flips through a few songs to find Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. He sets his little hands lightly on the piano and Jade sits down in the chair next to him, Ezra still in her lap. Finn plays the notes with caution, paying attention to each different one. He gets stuck on one or two, which Jade helps point out and put him back on track, and he finishes with ease.

"Finn, that was really good!" Jade tells him, and he smiles shyly. He won't meet her eyes, but she can tell he wants to say something so she waits.

He's still staring at the keys when he opens his mouth. "You can play too, right?"

"I'm okay," she answers, and lets Ezra squirm out of her arms to play with a nearby toy.

"Do you know any James Taylor songs?"

"I love James Taylor songs."

Finn's eyes get wide. "Really?"

"Really. Want to see one?" He nods his head and scoots over for Jade to join him on the bench. She looks over her shoulder to check on Ezra, who's happily playing, and she starts playing.

Ten seconds into the song, Finn realizes that his dad's girlfriend isn't just really, really good on the piano; her voice, he thinks, is prettier than anything he's ever heard. Sure, Beck sings to him every night before bed, and even around the house and when they're in the car. But there's something so different about hearing _her_ voice that suddenly makes him feel very comfortable.

When she finishes, she looks at the little boy next to her. "You like James, huh?"

"I'm named after him."

"Oh, you are?" Jade pretends Beck hadn't already told her.

"My middle name is Taylor because he's one of my dad's favorites."

"It's a good name to have," she says. "What about Ezra—what's his middle name?"

"He's Ezra Francis, since Francis is Frank Sinatra's real name. Dad really likes him, too." Before Finn can say anything else, a bang comes from somewhere behind them. "Ezra, no, no," he says quickly, and runs over to the Lego table. "You're not allowed to play with these, remember?" Finn picks his brother up and relocates him to sit on the floor. He starts to cry when Finn takes the Lego man from him, but stops as soon as he's handed something else.

"Me and Dad have been building a Lego town since I got this for my birthday," he tells Jade, who has moved over to sit between the boys. "We have to keep Ezra away, though, because he tries to eat the people. And one time, he totally destroyed the police station."

The three of them end up staying in the playroom for the next few hours, until Ezra needs to be put down for his nap around 11. "Hey, Finn?" Jade asks and picks the baby up.

"Yeah?"

"Is there anything in particular that your dad does when he puts Ezra to sleep?"

"Well, he usually just sings to him and then lays him down and his crib, and he falls asleep really fast. But he has to have his blanket. I think it's still in his crib."

"Okay, thanks. I'm going to go lay him down, okay?"

Finn nods. "I'm gonna go watch TV."

"Great. I'll be right there." Jade carries the baby into his room and shuts off the light. She pulls the blanket out of the crib and gives it to Ezra, who has made himself comfortable laying on her shoulder.

Jade sings one of her favorite lullaby-esque songs, rubbing Ezra's back as she does, and—just like Finn had said—he's asleep as soon as she lays him in her crib. Finn, meanwhile, has been listening to her sing outside of the door, just to hear her voice again. As soon as she finishes, he quickly and quietly runs into the living room to turn on the TV and pretend he'd been doing so the whole time.

When Jade comes into the main area of the house, she leans over the couch and Finn looks at her. "So," she says, "I was maybe going to make some brownies for your dad for when he comes home. I think after all his meetings, he might like that. What do you think?"

"Dad loves brownies," Finn agrees. "Do you know how to make them?"

Jade realizes then that Finn doesn't ask her whether or not she knows how to or can do things because he's trying to sass her; he is genuinely just the most curious, answer-seeking kid. So she gives him a smile, half-exasperated and half-sweet. "I do know how. Do you want to help me?"

"I've never made brownies before."

"That's okay. It's not too hard. You don't have to if you don't want to; I just wanted to let you know that I could always use another set of hands if you're interested."

Finn doesn't say anything at first, but one look at Jade getting out all of the materials to make a homemade batch of brownies and he decides he wants in. He pulls a little stool up to stand right by her, and they start. She puts Finn in charge of pouring in the liquids after she's already measured them out, and the only thing left to stir in is the flour.

Jade opens the sack of flour and she barely blinks an eye before Finn's attempt to grab something from across the counter ends in him knocking over the bag. The white flour goes everywhere: all over the countertop, the floor, and even creates a layer of white puff all over both both of them. The oddest thing to Jade, though, isn't the fact that she's covered in flour—it's that Finn freezes. He doesn't move a muscle, and she can see even with the white on his face that he is terrified.

Although Finn only lived with Leslie for four years, some of his memories are solidly engrained in his mind. Dropping, breaking, or touching anything important meant he would get screamed at. Leslie would cry to Beck about Finn, right in front of her son's face.

Jade blinks so that she can see better, and wipes some flour off of her face. She looks down at herself, and then at Finn, and she starts laughing. The five-year-old, however, doesn't make a sound. "You know," she says, "I think this shirt looks better white anyways, don't you?"

The look of pure confusion on Finn's face is enough to make Jade wish that Leslie had never existed to treat him the way she did. "I'm sorry," he says quietly. "I'm really sorry."

Jade takes a deep breath and bends down to be at his level. "Finn." Her voice is soft and he brings his green eyes up to meet her blue ones. "It was an accident. It's no big deal that you spilled, okay? I'm not mad; I mess up _all_ the time." She brushes some of the flour out of his hair and he smiles. "It's okay, Finn. I promise."

By the time Beck gets home around 12:30, the mess in the kitchen is cleaned, the brownies are finished, and Ezra is still asleep. It's been four hours, and Jade is in disbelief that Beck does this all day, every day. She's exhausted, and even that might be an understatement. Lucky for her, her boyfriend brings home lunch for the three of them.

Throughout the course of lunch, it's impossible for Beck to miss how much more comfortable his son seems around Jade. He doesn't mention anything then, even after he sees Jade nudge Finn's elbow. She whispers something to him and he nods and goes to the kitchen counter. He brings back the plate of brownies, which he's using two careful hands to hold.

Beck's jaw drops open when his son sets the plate on the table. "Wha—are these for me?"

Jade nods. "Finn made them." She winks at the kindergartener and he smiles at Beck. After lunch, Beck convinces Finn to take an afternoon nap, as he's obviously tired and seldom can get through the day without one. Beck tucks him in and he's asleep within minutes. When he returns to the living room, Jade is cleaning up from lunch.

"So," he says, walking towards her. "Nothing burned down; Ezra's asleep; and you got Finn to make brownies with you. Did you hire someone while I was gone?" She pushes his shoulder and he grins at her. "But seriously, babe. I'm impressed."

"Don't act so surprised." She sets down the last dried dish and turns to face him. "I'm a woman of many talents."

Beck wraps his arms around her waist. "Mhmm, I can see that." When he leans in for a kiss, she tosses her own arms over his shoulders and presses her lips gladly to his. Before long, he's picked her up and they're on their way to the couch, where he sits and she straddles his lap.

After three months, they've barely gotten the chance to do much of anything sexual at all. She knows that Beck is nervous about what she thinks about the fact that they haven't slept together yet, but Jade has done her part in reassuring him that it doesn't bother her. She's not the most patient person, but she's patient enough to know she should wait for _him_. And by him, she means the _him_ that she can already feel against her thigh as she sits on top of him.

"Beck," she breathes against his lips. "We don't have to do this now."

"No, I want to." He kisses her again and she puts her hands on his face to pull back away.

"By _we don't have to_, I mean we can't do this on your couch…when your sons are sleeping down the hall."

He's looking at her like a lost puppy, then, and she rolls her eyes. "Relax." She pushes his chest back against the couch and starts to undo the button on his jeans. "I didn't say we couldn't do _anything_. Maybe just something that'll go a little quicker." Beck watches carefully as she pulls his boxers down with his pants until they're at his ankles. One shaky, heavy breath later, and he feels her mouth on him.

Jade figures he deserves this, because—not that he'd trade them for anything—but his kids took a good amount of the sexual spontaneity out of his life. He's only twenty-three, after all, and doesn't a hot dad who cares for two boys day in and day out deserve a treat every now and then? Jade certainly thinks so.

"Oh, god," he groans, trying to keep his voice down. "Jade." He hasn't had this done to him since his early high school years, and it was never this good. Her hands are gripping his thighs and his are in her hair until he finishes. Jade smirks upon completing her job and rises from her knees. She watches her boyfriend (who's still in awe) pull his pants back up, and she tousles her hair before joining him back on the couch.

Around seven thirty that night, once everyone has eaten dinner, Beck is getting ready to tuck the boys into bed. "I won't see you in the morning," Jade tells Finn, "so this is bye for now. But I had fun with you today."

Finn nods his head. "Okay," he says. He hesitates for a few seconds, and Beck isn't sure what his son is about to do, but in an instant he launches into Jade's arms. He gives her the fastest hug either of them has ever seen, and then runs off to his room right after. Beck laughs and shakes his head, but his heart is pounding with pride. "Ezra," he says to the baby in his arms, "say bye-bye to Jade."

Ezra mimics Beck and Jade's waving motion and reaches his arms out for Jade. "Oh," she sighs, taking the baby out of his arms. "Hi, buddy."

The fifteen-month-old grins at her and lays his head on her chest, and Beck is speechless in the best way. He presses his lips to Jade's forehead and she rocks the baby back and forth. "I've got him," Jade says. "You go get Finn tucked in."

He smiles. "Okay."

When the boys are asleep, Beck and Jade find themselves on the couch again. He opens his best bottle of red wine, and he pours a glass for each of them. They've only been sitting for a few minutes when Beck decides to ask her a question that's been burning on his mind all day.

"Hey, babe?"

"Hmm?"

"How was Finn for you today?"

"He was really good, Beck. He gave me a tour of the house, and then he showed me a piece on the piano and the Lego town in the playroom. And I think he actually liked making brownies with me."

"Really?"

"Yeah. He, uh... Well, he sort of—" Jade cuts herself off, unsure of what exactly she should tell Beck.

"What happened? Did he do something?"

"No," she quickly answers. "He spilled some flour, which was no big deal. But what surprised me was how scared he was about it. He looked at me like he thought I was going to kill him."

"I'm sorry, Jade. I know that's hard. It's just, Leslie was just—"

"I know. It's okay." Jade tickles her fingers along the base of his hairline, helping him relax. "You know, when I was a kid, no one ever explained things to me as well as I needed them to. My dad thought I was smart enough to understand everything, and he was completely against showing feelings. So I just kind of rolled with it, and I never learned how to say them for myself."

Beck is listening intently while Jade shares something she hasn't with him until now. "I don't want Finn to feel like he can't show his feelings around me. I tried to make sure he knew that, but... I just don't want my presence here to be something he has to fear."

Beck stares at her, and he has to consciously stop himself from letting three words that could change everything fall out of his mouth. Instead, he leans in to kiss her. "Thank you," he whispers against her lips.

After Jade has driven herself home that night, something sinks in for her while she's washing her face. It's not enough, she thinks, to tell Beck that she knows how it feels to not like your dad's girlfriend; she has to tell Finn himself.

A week passes by before Jade finally gets the opportunity to have her conversation with Finn. She had come over for dinner at the Oliver house, and, once they'd finished eating, asked Finn if he wouldn't mind taking a walk with her. He looks initially confused, but agrees to the idea and takes the jacket that Beck hands him.

"Why did you want to walk with me?" Finn asks, about two minutes after they've left the house.

"I just wanted to talk," Jade explains. "I know that having me around hasn't been so easy on you, and I just want you to know that it's okay if you don't want to like me."

Finn's eyebrows pull together. "Is it okay if I do?"

Jade smiles and looks down at him. "Yeah. I had to meet my dad's girlfriend once before too, you know."

"Your dad has a girlfriend?"

"Well, he did. He's married to her now. But when I was twelve, my dad introduced me to a girl who he said was his girlfriend. And I really hated her."

"Hate's a bad word," he reminds her with a grin.

"Oh, right. Sorry, I'm not quite used to hanging out with cool five-year-olds like you yet." Finn smiles to himself and continues listening. "Anyways, I really _disliked_ my dad's girlfriend."

"Was she mean?"

"Worse. She was too nice. I never believed anything she said because she always had a fake smile plastered to her face."

"What does plastered mean?"

Jade laughs. "It means my dad's girlfriend talked like this." She bends down to face him and he giggles immediately upon seeing the cheesy smile she puts on. "Hi, Jade! I'm Margot and I'm so excited to meet you!"

"She really talked like that?"

"She still does," Jade tells him, rising again to keep walking. "See, I could be worse."

Finn laughs again. "Is she still your dad's girlfriend?"

"She's his wife, now."

"Do you like her better now?"

"Not really. But I don't ever really see her, so it doesn't matter as much. She lives with my dad in California. But my point in telling you all this is that I know that it can sometimes suc—_stink_ to have someone new come into your life. And for the record, if I had been your age when I met Margot, I totally would have pulled that same stunt with the bird at the zoo. I've got to hand it to you, Finn. That was a good one."

He smiles shyly. "Can I tell you something?" She asks.

"Yeah."

"I'm glad you did that. I'm glad that you showed how you felt."

"You are?"

"I am. I don't want you to be scared to express your feelings in front of me, okay? If you're mad about something, be mad. If you're sad, be sad. If you're happy, be so happy that you bounce off the walls. Nobody ever told me that that was okay, but I'm telling it to you now."

Finn nods his head, and so Jade does the same. "Okay."

"Okay. So... should we get crepes?" One look on Finn's little face and Jade has her answer.

On their four month anniversary, Beck's parents tell their only child that they want to have Jade over for dinner. Paul and Carole Oliver always love to spend time with their son and grandsons, so they're delighted when Beck brings the boys over along with them.

By the time the night—which included dinner, and a dessert conversation lasting so long that the boys fall asleep—is over, his parents are convinced that Beck must have done something very right to have found Jade. She's almost the complete opposite of their son, but somehow they work together like a well-oiled machine.

Carole mentions to Beck later on how beautiful she is, and also asks what kind of spell she's put on Ezra to make him so obsessed with her. He laughs at this and, before saying goodbye to his mother, promises (at her request) that he'll do everything he can to keep her around.

They've been dating for five months when he tells her he loves her for the first time. Beck had driven her back to her house after a double date with Tori and Andre, and they're laying on a blanket in the bed of his truck that's parked in the driveway. They're not doing anything, just looking at the stars, but it feels right and the words flow easily out of Beck's mouth.

Jade looks at him, and he takes a deep breath before saying it again. "I am in love with you, Jade."

She wonders if the panic she feels inside is showing on her face. He loves her. This is all very real. A man—a wonderful man with a laugh she adores and a smile that drives her crazy and an energy that she always wants to be around—loves her. A man with _children_ loves her. She starts to feel numb, but Beck isn't concerned until she begins to cry.

"Jade," he says, holding her tighter. "Jade, I'm sorry if that was too soon. I'm so sorry. I didn't want to freak you out; I just wanted to tell you how I've been feeling."

"It's not that," she reassures him, and she hates herself for the year she wipes from her eye. She rests her head on his chest, because this will be much easier to say if she doesn't have to look at him. She swallows a few times to clear her throat, and lets Beck's heartbeat calm her own one down.

"My father always told me that this would never happen to me." She sniffles before continuing. "When I was fourteen and told him I hated his new wife, he told me at least he found someone to love. He said with how closed off and irritable I was, I'd better get used to the idea that no one is going to want to love me. Except for him, of course, he reminded me so kindly," she adds sarcastically, albeit another sniffle.

"Jade?"

"Hmm?"

"Look at me." She does as he asks and lifts her head up to face him. "Your dad was wrong."

Jade sits up to prop herself onto her elbow, and she kisses him deeply. "I love you," she says between breaths, and Beck has to remind himself that their first time to make love is _not_ going to be in the bed of a trunk before leaning in to kiss her again. He's able to resist for the night, but he knows he won't last much longer.

Over the next several weeks, Beck becomes increasingly sure of how in love with her he is. As terrified as Jade is to jump into the situation and be in love with him and in love with the boys, she almost can't help herself.

On a Friday night a couple of weeks later, Jade puts Ezra to bed before heading into Finn's room so she and Beck can tuck him in with a story. "Wait!" Finn yells, hopping onto his bed. "Let's play the game!"

Beck laughs. "Okay, bud. Let's play."

"Jade! You have to be the princess!"

"Tell me what to do," she says, submitting to his request.

"Okay, you get on my bed—that's the castle. And I'm the dragon, so I stand in front of it. And Dad is the prince, so he's gonna try to rescue you. Dad, where's the sword?"

"I think we put it in your closet," Beck answers, and goes to retrieve a styrofoam sword from a toy box. "Alright, I'm ready."

"Jade, are you ready?"

She's laying on the bed defenselessly, already looking like a damsel in distress. "Ready to be saved."

At her word, Finn launches towards Beck with his scariest looking face. As he hops around the room, doing his best to avoid Beck's sword, he can't help but giggle at how well Jade is playing along. She's crying for help, for someone to save her, and Finn couldn't be more excited about how seriously she's taking it.

"Don't worry, princess!" Beck says as Finn jumps onto his back. "I'm coming for you!" He wrestles the five-year-old dragon until they both fall to the ground, and Beck rolls over to stand up again. Finn leaps up and rushes over to the bed before Beck gets there, all while Jade is still begging for a savior.

In the final move, Beck sticks his sword gently (but dramatically) into Finn's stomach, prompting his son to fall backwards onto the bed in defeat. Beck then scoops his waiting princess into his arms and kisses her lips victoriously. Finn giggles, and Beck and Jade crawl onto his bed to flank either side of him.

"Alright, buddy, what are we reading tonight?" Finn picks out a book from his shelf and brings it over so that they can read it to him. Without him even having to request that she does it, Jade reads all of the girl voices—using different inflections and tones for each character.

The icing on Finn's cake is when, after Beck clicks off the light, he and Jade sing for him together. Before they leave his room, Finn looks at his dad's girlfriend. "Jade?"

"Yeah?"

"The game was a lot funner when you were the princess."

She smiles, and leaning down to kiss Finn's head feels strangely natural. "Thanks for letting me play."

"Goodnight, buddy," Beck adds. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Once they've left and shut his door, Beck takes her hand and leads her to the couch. Their routine for months now has been to end their nights in the living room before Jade drives herself home, and they've gotten so used to it that—come midnight—Jade tells her boyfriend that it's probably time she leaves.

"No," Beck says, surprising her.

"No?"

"No." And that's really all he has to say before closing the space between them with a kiss, and lowering her body so that he's hovering over her. She doesn't object when he picks her up, only keeps kissing him until they're suddenly in his bedroom.

Beck closes the door behind him and then sets her on the bed. They don't have to say much; they've both been waiting for this to happen for over six months, so no one has to ask if the other is ready or sure.

When all of their clothes are off and his face is between her legs, she remembers to keep her volume down despite every inch of her body wanting to cry out in pleasure. It's even harder to remain quiet when he's inside her, and they're rocking together, and Jade is about to experience that same sensation.

They finish after an hour of multiple rounds, leaving both of them completely exhausted. She throws on his t-shirt and he pulls on a pair of boxers (because they're not about to risk the boys coming in before they get the chance to put on clothes) and she drapes herself over his body. Beck holds onto her back and kisses her head, and they're asleep before they know it.

It's eight that next Saturday morning when Finn comes into Beck's room. "Morning!" He says, launching himself onto the bed.

Beck rubs his eyes and sits up, remembering the girl in his arms and hoping his son won't react badly to her presence. "Morning, buddy."

Jade opens her eyes seconds after this and turns to see Finn sitting on their bed. "Hey, Finn," she says sleepily.

"Can we have waffles for breakfast?" He asks as he looks back and forth between the two of them. Beck and Jade are surprised that he says nothing about the fact that she's in bed with them, but if he's not going to make a comment then neither are they.

"Sure," Beck laughs. Sounds start coming from the baby monitor, then, alerting him that his younger son is awake. "I'll be right back." He kisses Jade and Finn before leaving the room to get Ezra. When he returns, the baby in his arms, Finn is under the covers between Jade and Beck's side.

The second Ezra sees Jade in the bed, he shrieks and reaches his arms out towards her. "Hi," she says to the smiley baby, taking him from Beck. "Good morning." Ezra lays himself on her chest and Beck slides into bed next to Finn.

"How'd you sleep?" He asks his son, who has made himself comfortable between him and Jade.

"Good. What are we doing today?"

"Well, I was thinking we could all go for our run. And then maybe walk into town for lunch and the park?"

Finn turns towards Jade. "You're coming too, right?" Beck grins and watches his girlfriend's expression.

"I wouldn't miss it."

The next month follows similar suit. When Jade is at work or home or away from Beck and the boys, she finds herself wishing she were with them. Her arms constantly yearn to hold Ezra, with whom she has formed an attachment she never thought possible. She's always wanting to teach Finn more music theory, and to sit with him and see how his brilliant little mind works. When she sleeps at her own home, she misses having Beck next to her. She misses Finn coming into the room in the mornings, and she misses getting Ezra out of his crib to come snuggle with them in bed.

The boys have gotten just as used to having her around, as well. Ezra is happier in her arms than anywhere else; Finn expects her to be there when he gets home from school (if she's not the one picking him up) and looks forward to hearing her play the piano every night. Beck has started tossing and turning in his sleep when she's not beside him. And at night, when he plays the guitar and Jade plays the piano and they sing together to the boys, Beck doesn't think he could be luckier.

Finn is sitting in the corner of the hallway, in his pajamas with trucks on them, after they'd already put him to bed. His dad and Jade are in the living room, and the fire is lit and the record player is playing Frank Sinatra and they're slow dancing.

Finn doesn't know why, but he loves to watch them. He loves seeing his dad make Jade smile, and Jade make his dad smile, and they seem so happy that Finn has completely forgotten about ever disliking her in the first place. The idea of Jade leaving them doesn't cross his mind anymore. She's always there—and nobody is complaining about that.

* * *

**Title is a song by James Taylor.**

**Thoughts?**


	5. Chapter V

.

_Chapter V_

_I've Got You Under My Skin_

.

"Jade, don't say that."

"We both know it's true!" She's pacing back and forth in front of his bed, and he finally stops her with both hands on her shoulders.

"It's not true. It's not true at all. I know the boys aren't technically yours, but, Jade, you've been the best thing that's ever happened to them. And the best thing that's ever happened to me, too." He rubs her arms and pulls her in for a hug that he knows she needs. "I love you so much. Please don't ever doubt that."

"I can't risk screwing them up, Beck," she says into his shirt. "I've never wanted kids for that reason—because there's no way I wouldn't lose my shit from being a mother." She pulls back from him and they sit on the edge of the bed. "When I met yours, I realized my opinion could change. But now... Now it's a different kind of fear. It's guilt, Beck. I can't be the one to disappoint them or mess them up."

"The only thing that you could do that would disappoint them is if you suddenly weren't around anymore. They love you, babe. Don't you get that? And that guilty fear you have... That's what being a parent feels like. It's a constant state of subdued nervousness; you never want to be the cause of your kid's disappointment or sadness. I feel it every day. It just comes with the job."

She sighs, and eventually gives up on trying to avoid letting him comfort her. She lays her head on his shoulder and she's instantly glad she did. "My heart hurts. All the time. It's like this weird, heavy feeling. I can't tell if I love it or if I hate it."

"I know," he says, and grabs her hand to hold. "Every day, all day, I worry about Finn and Ezra. I worry anytime they're not near me, and even when they are, that they're okay and happy and that they feel loved. I want them to have everything in the world. It's just like a weight that I have. All parents do. And it's hard, babe... But every time I see Finn play a new song on the piano, or Ezra laughs at a game of peek-a-boo... It's all worth it."

Jade looks up at him and takes a deep breath to calm herself. "They feel like mine."

Beck kisses her. "I was hoping you'd say that."

The next morning is a school morning, which the two of them have gotten used to managing well. Beck cooks the eggs while Jade chops fruit; Finn sits, dressed for the day, at the kitchen table, while Ezra kicks his legs in waiting for his breakfast.

The four of them have been eating for about fifteen minutes when Ezra starts to get fussy. He doesn't want to eat his food anymore, and instead whines frustratedly in his high chair.

"Mama, out!" The toddler begs, reaching for Jade. At that moment, everyone at the table falls silent—except for Ezra, who is still whining. "Ma-ma," he cries, "I out!"

Jade's heart is about to beat right out of her chest, as is Beck's, but there's really only one thing anyone can do about the crying baby in his high chair. Jade is sitting next to him anyways, so she pulls him out of his seat and into her lap. As soon as he's laying in her arms, Ezra stops his fussing.

Finn giggles, gaining both adults' attention. "I think Ezra likes you better than Dad." Jade looks down at the baby, whose head is rested on her shoulder. "Ezra," Finn says, and snaps his fingers to get his brother's attention. "Who am I?" He points to himself.

"Dih," Ezra replies, sticking a finger in his mouth.

"Good. And who's that?" Finn points to Beck.

"Da-da!"

"Uh-huh. And who's that?" The five-year-old points to Jade, and Ezra looks up at her giddily.

"Ma-ma!"

Beck looks at Jades face, waiting to see the panic that he's afraid will show. After their conversation last night, he's terrified that this might make her feel too much pressure. She looks up at Beck, and he thinks that if she doesn't say something soon he might have a heart attack. "Jade," he says softly, unsure of what else to do.

"It's okay," she promises him, and then looks back to Ezra again. "Hi, buddy."

"Ma-ma," he babbles, clearly excited about his new word. Jade hugs him close to her chest, and the three of them continue on with breakfast.

They've just dropped Finn off at school when Beck finally mentions it. "Babe?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you want to talk about what happened at breakfast?"

She sighs. "I'm not upset, if that's what you want to know."

"No, it's not that," he replies. "I just don't want you to feel like you're trapped in any way. I'm sorry if that sounds weird. You know how much I love you, but I would never want you to think that you were somehow obligated to—"

She shuts him up with a long kiss. When they finally pull back for air, she puts her palm on his cheek affectionately. "I didn't know how much I wanted to hear him say that until he said it. I promise you, Beck. It's okay."

Beck smiles. "He called you—"

"I know." Jade kisses him again, and they both know that if he didn't have to be at work in fifteen minutes (and if there weren't a baby in the backseat), they would have already gotten carried away by now.

The next day finds Beck and Jade taking the boys to Tori and Andre's house for Andre's birthday party. Beck's best friend is turning twenty-four, so he and his fiancé invited several of their friends and family members over to their home to celebrate.

"Hi!" Tori greets them at the door with a big smile. "Look at you guys—you're so cute!"

Finn smiles back at her and holds up the picture he'd drawn at school for his uncle. "Look, Aunt Tori," the five-year-old says as he proudly shows off his artwork.

Tori gasps for dramatic effect. "Wow, Finn! He is going to love that! That was so sweet of you. I think he's over at the grill right now; wanna go find him and give it to him?"

"Yeah!" He runs off, leaving Beck to close the door behind him and Jade.

"Okay," Tori says to her friends as she tickles Ezra's chest, "these are the cutest little suspenders I have ever seen."

"And he _loves_ them," Jade tells her. She looks at the twenty-month-old in her arms and marvels at how adorable he looks in his outfit.

Beck nods. "He's barely wanted to take them off since we got them earlier this week."

"He is too cute. Ezra, will you come see Aunt Tori?"

He shies away instead of going into Tori's arms, and opts instead to bury his face in Jade's neck. "Yeah," Beck tells his longtime friend, "good luck getting him away from her. He's like her third arm."

"Aww," Tori coos. "That is the sweetest thing ever!" Jade kisses Ezra's head and rocks him a bit as the group walks inside. She knows that Tori is waiting until the girls are alone to get her fill of gossip.

"So," Beck asks, looping his hand into Jade's, "where's the birthday boy?"

The three adults make their way out to the backyard, where Andre is showing Finn how he grills the hamburgers. "Hey, man!" Beck greets his best friend with a hug. "Happy Birthday."

"I'm glad you guys could make it," he tells them. Andre gives Jade a hug and then plays with Ezra's hand to make the baby grin. "Wait til you see the cake Tori's mom made. Three layers of chocolate."

"Yes!" Finn exclaims, hopping into the air excitedly. He looks up between Beck and Jade. "How many pieces can I have?"

"No nuts, right?" Jade double checks with Andre.

"No nuts."

"How about one?" Beck suggests.

"Aw, Dad. At least two!"

"How about one," Jade says, "and you can have a cookie, too?"

"Deal!" Finn agrees, and Beck grins at how happy his son's expression is. "Can I go play soccer with Henry now?" Beck and Jade look over to see Andre's nephew kicking around a ball, and the little boy waves excitedly to Finn.

"Sure, buddy."

"Be careful, please!" Jade requests as he runs off.

"I will!"

"Ball!" Ezra points to the soccer ball and bounces in Jade's arms.

"That's right, Ez. You want to play with the ball?" He reaches out his hand to make a grasping motion, and Beck laughs.

"I could actually go for a soccer game," he says. "Andre, you in?"

"Let's do it! These burgers have got a while to go anyways."

"Perfect." Beck turns to his girlfriend. "Let's see if he'll even come to me," he jokes.

"Ezra," Jade coos, "go see Daddy. Go to Daddy, and you can play with the ball!" Her second sentence is what gets him, and the nearly-two-year-old allows Beck to take him from Jade.

Over the next hour or so, Tori can't help but notice how well her friend has taken to the Oliver boys. Jade is practically already a member of their family, she thinks, and Tori can see it in every aspect of their communication. She knows what foods Finn and Ezra like, and exactly what nuts will produce an allergic reaction in Finn. She understands everything that comes out of Ezra's mouth, even when his baby voice makes it sometimes hard to figure out what he's saying. Most obviously, Jade has all three boys completely smitten with her.

As soon as Tori gets Jade alone in the kitchen under the pretense of asking for help with preparing the cake, she can't wait to get more details about how things are going. Jade has to laugh at how excited the whole situation makes her friend. "Don't you have more important things to be focused on?"

"Please, like what?!"

"Well, I don't know; it's not like you're getting _married_ in a month, or anything.

Tori waves her off. "I already have it all planned! I want to hear about you!"

"Of course you do."

"Seriously, Jade! You and Beck have gotten so committed. You're basically a mom to Finn and Ezra, and I just think it's the sweetest thing in the world."

"Woah, slow down there, Vega. First of all, we haven't even been dating for a year yet."

"But almost."

"Not for another few months."

"Still."

Although she's not quite sure why, Jade continues in her rant of trying to downplay the situation until she suddenly hears a noise that she swears she could hear from miles away. Holly Vega appears in the kitchen seconds later, holding a very upset Ezra. She's about to ask her daughter all kinds of questions—like where Beck is and why the toddler is whining for his mother and if Leslie had randomly returned—when she realizes that Ezra is twisting his entire body to reach towards Jade.

"Mama," he sobs, and Jade quickly takes him from Holly.

"Shhh, it's okay." Jade rocks him in her arms and he's instantly calmed. In that moment, she doesn't think for a second about who else is in the kitchen or how much of a field day Tori's going to have; the only person on her mind is the one she's holding. "It's okay. I'm here. Mama's right here."

"He was playing with Finn and Henry," Holly explains, "but he started sobbing and when I couldn't find Beck, I thought I'd ask Tori." The older woman smiles. "I guess he just wanted you."

Tori grins. "He just wanted his mom."

Holly decides to give them some privacy, figuring that she'll ask her daughter later on for information, and Tori watches as Jade calms Ezra down. She's still smiling minutes later. "You were saying?"

Jade rolls her eyes, but she knows there's not much of an argument to be made once Tori has heard Ezra's new name for her. Jade is rubbing the baby's back like she knows he loves, until she finally hears his breathing slow. "You okay, bear?"

He sniffles on her shoulder and she kisses his hair. "Mama, choo," he says in his tiny voice as he lifts his head to look at her.

"Yes, I'll get you your juice." Jade moves to the counter, where she'd left the diaper bag, and pulls a blue sippy cup out of one of the side pockets. Once he has his drink in hand, Jade turns back to face Tori. "For the record, he just started this yesterday."

"Oh, you mean the thing where he calls you mama?"

Jade sighs and gives her a hint of a smile. "Yes, that. And he's also just not acting himself. I don't think he's feeling well." She puts a hand to his forehead to make sure he doesn't have a fever, and Tori can't wipe the smile off of her face.

"You're so good with him, it's insane. I'm just so happy for you and Beck!"

"Yeah, yeah. So tell me more about the wedding."

It isn't until later that evening, around 9:00, that Jade realizes she was right about Ezra not seeming himself. Although she and Beck had put him to bed two hours ago, the baby monitor alerts them that he's already awake and crying.

Jade goes to the nursery immediately to pick him up out of his crib. Ezra's cheeks are red and his forehead is hot, and even the comfort of Jade's arms doesn't completely settle him. "Babe," she calls Beck into the room, and he appears in seconds. "He's got a fever." She's bouncing the fussy baby in her arms, and Beck can see that his eyes are already swollen from crying.

"Aw, buddy," he sighs, brushing his hands through Ezra's hair. "You want to come see Daddy?" Ezra doesn't reply, but his little arms are wrapped so tightly around Jade's neck that he doesn't know why he even asked. "Okay, I'm going to go get some medicine. I know we've got Baby Tylenol in the kitchen."

Beck kisses her lips and, true to his word, returns in a minute with a dosage fit for Ezra's age. "He's going to hate this; you'll have to hold his arms, or he'll make a huge mess."

"Okay. I've got him."

"I'm sorry about this, buddy," Beck prefaces, and then opens his son's mouth to push the liquid inside in small doses. Ezra cries through the whole thing, but between the two of them they're able to get him to swallow the medicine.

They sit down together on the small couch in Ezra's room, and Jade is holding the baby close to rock him back to sleep. Beck puts his arm around her and she curls up next to him. "He hasn't ever been sick," he informs Jade. "I've never seen him so upset."

"Do you think we need to take him to see a doctor?"

"Maybe tomorrow, if it's still bad." Beck leans in to kiss his son's head. "Poor guy. He's probably exhausted."

"He might sleep better if we bring him to bed with us," Jade offers. "He's probably going to wake up crying in another few hours when this medicine wears off."

"You're sure you're okay with that?"

Jade gives him a reassuring look. "Of course, babe."

Beck kisses her again. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she whispers. "Is he asleep?" He looks down to see that Ezra is indeed asleep on Jade's shoulder, so he nods his head.

"Ready for bed?"

"Sadly, yes. I'm so tired."

Beck laughs quietly and presses his lips to her forehead. "I would carry you to bed, but I guess my son already has dibs on you."

"He reeled me in about as fast as you did. I don't think I could say no to him if I tried." Beck grins, and Jade furrows her eyebrows. "What?"

"Oh, nothing. You just have no idea how sexy you are holding Ezra in your arms."

"Beck, you see me holding him all day long, almost every day."

"I know. And I think you are sexy all day long, every day."

Jade smirks. "You'd better stop there. We have a sick baby in our bed tonight."

"Then it's a good thing we have a lot of other nights ahead of us for me to tell you how sexy you are."

Jade's heart skips a beat. "Oh, a lot of them, huh?"

"Yeah." He twirls a strand of her hair around his finger. "I won't ever fall out of love with you, Jade."

The darkness of Ezra's room prevents Beck from seeing her blush, but he can feel her heartbeat kick up a notch. Jade stretches up to kiss him. "Let's go to bed," she whispers, so he kisses her again before helping her up so they can move to the bedroom.

It's one in the morning when Ezra's crying wakes both of them up. The toddler had fallen asleep between Beck and Jade, but as soon as he sits up and starts to fuss, they're awake. "Ez," Beck says sympathetically as he pulls his son into his arms. "It's okay. Daddy's here."

Jade props herself up with pillows and watches as Ezra continues to cry. "Beck," she says sleepily, "let's take him for a drive. It'll relax him and he'll probably fall back asleep."

"It's one in the morning," he replies over Ezra's cries.

"I know, babe. But if it'll help, it's worth it. If he keeps crying like that, he's going to wake Finn up."

Beck rubs his eyes and nods his head in agreement. "Okay. I'll go get him out of bed and carry him out to the truck. Ezra," he says, patting the baby's back softly, "look, there's Mama."

He's surprised by how easily the word flows from his mouth, and as soon as he says it, he realizes that he wants to refer to Jade as _mama_ to his sons forever. As soon as Ezra realizes that Jade has her arms held out for him, he reaches over for her.

Five minutes later, after Beck and Jade have slipped shoes on and bucked the boys into the back seat of the truck, they pull out of the driveway. The couple is worried that Finn won't be able to sleep through his brother's crying much longer, but luckily, Ezra begins to calm down as Beck drives.

Beck turns on his favorite CD, a mix tape of James Taylor and Frank Sinatra songs, and relaxes in his seat. Jade is in the passenger seat, holding his hand and leaning her head on his shoulder. Finn is curled up, asleep, with his blanket from the Breckenridge Zoo, and Ezra is staring calmly out the window.

By the time Beck pulls back into the garage half an hour later, all three of his companions are sleeping. He carries Ezra to his crib and Finn to his bed, and then finally returns for Jade. He knows his girlfriend well enough by now to remember that she sleeps like a rock—which only makes his job easier because he doesn't have to worry about waking her. He slings an arm under her legs and another under her back, and carries her to the bed with ease.

As soon as he slides into bed next to her, she shifts her body to let him hold her. Beck kisses her head, thanks his lucky stars that this is the way he gets to finish his night, and falls asleep quickly.

Over the next couple of days, Ezra's fever takes its time to break. While he's usually a happy, easy-going baby, he's been crying all the time. Beck feels bad that Jade clears her schedule for the week to take care of Ezra, but she promises that it's what she really wants to do—and he believes her. It doesn't hurt that his son is obsessed with Jade, and clings to her as if she were his biological mother. The fever makes him fussy, but Jade is the one who can settle him with a song and a cuddle.

On Tuesday, when Ezra is finally starting to feel better, Carole Oliver texts Jade to ask if she can bring lunch over for her and the toddler. Jade accepts the invitation, and shortly after, Carole arrives at the door with food from a cafe.

"Hi, dear." Beck's mother greets her son's girlfriend with a hug. "How's my little boy?" She looks at Ezra, who is sitting contently in Jade's arms, and he grins at his grandmother. "Feeling better, I see."

"Feeling _much_ better," Jade confirms. "Thank you for bringing over lunch; Blue Moose is one of my favorite places."

"Beck told me," Carole admits, and sets the bag on the kitchen table. Jade sets Ezra in his high chair and then helps the older woman pull the food out the bag.

She's always liked Beck's mother, ever since she'd met her several months ago. Carole is a beautiful woman, with fair skin and long, curly brown hair that is turning gray. She's aging gracefully—that's hard for anyone to miss—and her sunny disposition and warm smile make her one of everyone's favorite people in the small town. She also plays guitar better than anyone Jade has ever heard.

"I'm so glad to see that he's feeling better; I know these last few days have been rough, huh?"

"Yeah, a little bit," Jade says, and begins to cut up Ezra's lunch into eatable pieces. "It's been weird for him to be so irritable. He's usually the happiest kid alive."

"Mama, yum yum!"

Carole nearly drops her fork at her grandson's exclamation, and Jade can feel herself flushing pink. She's heard Ezra say the word so many times since he first said it on Friday that she forgets it hasn't even been a week since he started. "Mama," the toddler says again, and kicks his feet to get her attention. When Jade finally looks at him, he grins and holds up a piece of his food. "Yum!"

Jade isn't sure what to say, but Carole speaks before she has to figure it out. Her eyes are glistening and she has a smile on her face and Jade is immediately relieved. "Can I tell you something?"

Jade swallows hard, unsure of herself, and nods her head.

"I didn't know if I would ever get to hear him say that. And Jade, darling?" Jade doesn't move her eyes from Carole's. "I am so happy that you're the one Ezra gets to call his mother."

Jade breathes a long sigh of relief and tries to slow her heartbeat. "It's the best feeling in the world."

Two weeks later, Tori and Andre's wedding is the talk of the town. As a bridesmaid and one of Tori's closest friends, Jade is doing her best to keep the bride-to-be as calm as humanly possible. Beck, for his part as the Best Man, decides to take Andre—who had opted out of a bachelor party—out for a few drinks at their favorite bar.

"Two Blue Moons, please," Beck tells the bartender, and slides his credit card across the counter to open a tab. "So, getting excited for the big day?"

"I really am. Tori and I have been saving up for what feels like forever for this. And the wedding…well, that's more for her parents than it is for either of us. But the honeymoon is going to be tops."

"The Bahamas for a week," Beck says. "Man, do I hate you."

They both laugh, and the bartender hands each of them a freshly opened beer. "Well, from what I hear from Tori, your time isn't too far off."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing really." Andre shrugs. "Tori just said that you and Jade have gotten super close, which, in my opinion, is completely obvious to anyone who's around the two of you for more than a few minutes." Beck chuckles and sips on his beer. "I'm happy for you, Beck. You deserve this, and so do the kids, you know?"

"Thanks. Yeah, I've got to be honest: we're on Cloud Nine with Jade around. Ezra won't leave her side for a second, Finn thinks she's ten times cooler than me, and I think about proposing a lot these days."

"Wow. Do you mean—"

"Yep," Beck answers with a nod of his head. "I didn't want to give it to Leslie; just because we were getting married never meant I wanted her to have my mom's ring."

"I remember. Your mom didn't want her to have it either."

"Yeah. But Jade… Jade is everything. And just being with her is great, but I want to make things official. We agreed that she wouldn't move in while we were just dating, because I know that would be a huge change for the boys, but she practically lives with us anyways. Finn and Ezra have gotten so used to her being around; at this point, it'd be more drastic if she _didn't _move in."

Andre pats his best friend on the back. "Then I think it's a smart move, man. You and Jade are meant to be, and you know it. Maybe in a few months, I'll be the one taking the groom out for beers."

Beck laughs. "Cheers," he says, holding up his drink, "to us, and to the women we love."

"Cheers."

When Beck gets home that night, his sons are asleep and Jade is working on her latest art piece at the table. She's wearing her glasses, which Beck always finds to be so sexy, and she has a few candles burning to light up her drawing area. "Hi." He gives her a kiss and slides into a chair next to her. "Still working on this one, huh?"

Jade sets her pencil down and moves to sit in his lap. "Still this one." She looks down at her half-finished artwork, a drawing of several black bears underneath a blue, full moon. "I think it'll look perfect in Finn's room."

"It will." He kisses her again. "How was Finn's reading tonight?"

"He did really well!" Jade gets visibly excited. "He still can't get those few words that he always has a hard time with, but other than that, it was perfect. He was so proud, babe."

"You are such a mom," he says, with so much sentiment in his voice that Jade thinks she could melt. She sighs and puts her hand on his cheeks. "The best mom in the world." Not surprisingly, Beck ends up carrying her to the bedroom soon after.

The next morning, as per usual, Finn comes in to snuggle in bed with them. As soon as Jade hears Ezra on the baby monitor, she goes to get him and brings him in, too. "Hey, big guy!" Beck greets his toddler son, who giggles.

"Dada sleeping," he says, noticing that Beck is lying in bed. Jade laughs and gets back into bed with Ezra on her lap.

"Hey, bear," she uses her nickname for Ezra to get his attention. "Where are Mama's eyes?"

Ezra grins and puts both of his palms over Jade's eyes, entertaining all three of them. "Eye!" He shouts excitedly.

"And where is Mama's nose?" Ezra puts one hand on her nose and smiles proudly. "Good job! What about my mouth? Where's Mama's mouth?" The toddler moves his hand to her lips and Jade bites at them playfully to make him laugh. "Where are my ears?"

He turns her cheek to find her right ear, and touches it to show her he knows where it is. "Mama ear!" He says, clearly pleased with his knowledge.

"Where's your tummy?" Jade asks him, and he has to think for a second to figure it out. "Where's Ezra's tummy?" He lifts his shirt up over his face and pats his stomach, and then finds a new game in baring his belly when Beck reaches over to tickle him. When Ezra pulls his shirt up, Beck can get him—but as soon as he pulls it back down, he's safe from being tickled.

Jade and Finn watch as they carry out this game for several minutes, all while Ezra is laughing hysterically. "Alright," Beck says, and lets his younger son crawl back to Jade's arms, "how about some breakfast?"

"I want pancakes!" Finn shouts as he hops onto his dad's back. "And I want strawberries on mine, like Jade."

Beck grins. "Whatever the Ring Bearer wants, the Ring Bearer gets."

"Do I have to wear the tux tonight, too? Or just tomorrow?"

"Just tomorrow, buddy," Jade answers him. "You're going to look so handsome in it."

"If Dad wears one, I'll wear one," he replies. "Are you going to wear a dress?"

"I am."

"You always look pretty when you wear dresses."

Jade smiles and sets Ezra in his high chair. "Thanks, Finn." She bends down to kiss the five-year-old's head and then joins Beck behind the counter to start work on the pancakes.

"I agree," Beck pops in. "And tonight, buddy, we're going to get a little bit dressed up—but not as much as tomorrow."

"What's tonight?"

"The rehearsal and the dinner."

"What does that mean?"

"It means we're going to practice what we'll do at the wedding tomorrow. Then, afterwards, we all get to go out to dinner," Jade tells him.

And the day follows exactly like that. The rehearsal goes well—other than the fact that Ezra doesn't understand his job as a Ring Bearer, and instead wants to run down the aisle to Jade rather than walking slowly beside his brother. They finally get the toddler to cooperate, though, and Jade thinks that seeing her boys walk down the aisle side by side is the cutest thing she's ever seen.

The group—consisting of the couple's closest family, friends, and friends' parents—has dinner together at Tori and Andre's favorite restaurant. Suffice it to say that the small town of Breckenridge, Colorado is ready for the wedding; even people who don't know the couple as well are excited for them.

In a small apartment complex in Miami, Florida, however, the mood is a little less pleasant and a lot more devious.

"Yes, I'm a hundred percent sure. Why do you keep asking me this question?" The blonde holds her cell phone between her ear and shoulder and finishes zipping up her suitcase. "Oh, please, it's not _crashing_. I was practically invited," she replies to her phone companion. "Besides, Tori still likes me. She probably just forgot to send me an invitation. … Yes, she does! … What do you mean _abandon_? Don't be so dramatic. … Give me a break. The second those boys see me, they're going to fall to their knees in relief that I'm back. They _need_ me. Beck has probably been dying without me. … Whatever. I'm going."

She locks her apartment door behind her and heads down to catch her taxi. "Gotta go," Leslie says with a smirk. "Call you from Colorado."

* * *

**Title is a song by Frank Sinatra.**

**And, if you didn't catch on, Beck's mom is supposed to be a Carole King of sorts.**

**Tomorrow is my birthday and I'm accepting reviews as presents ;)**


	6. Chapter VI

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_Chapter VI_

_Fire and Rain_

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"Babe, can you hand me my face wash? I left on my side of the counter."

Beck continues brushing his teeth as he reaches over to Jade's sink and grabs the bottle of soap. When she opens the glass door to take it from him, he gives her a brief kiss and wishes that he could just hop into the shower with her. He finishes brushing and then turns to check on the third person in the master bathroom. "Ezra, buddy," he says to his son, who is playing happily in the bathtub, "not too much splashing, okay? You're going to flood the room."

Ezra giggles, which makes Beck and Jade smile, and continues playing with his rubber ducks and trucks in the water. As soon as Jade is out of the shower, she dries off and throws on her robe before starting to drain the tub. "Ezra, can you put your toys back in the basket?" She points to the small container behind him and tosses a duck into it to show him. He complies, then, and grins proudly once all of his toys are put away.

"Mama, I do it!" He exclaims, and Jade laughs and kisses his face.

"You did it!" Jade grabs his little towel and lifts him out of the bathtub to dry him. She carries him into the attached master bedroom and sets him on the bed to put him in a diaper.

"What time do we have to leave for the wedding?"

Jade looks up at Finn, who is also lying on their bed watching a movie. "In about three hours, because we have to be there early for pictures and stuff."

"Is Uncle Andre coming with us?"

"He sure is. I think he's still in your room practicing his vows."

"Those things he's gonna say to Aunt Tori?"

"Exactly." Jade finishes drying Ezra's hair and plops him to sit next to his brother.

"Ezra, look!" Finn points to the iPad of Beck's, which is currently playing The Lion King. "Look what I'm watching," he tells his brother. "You like this movie."

"Raaaaaawr!" Ezra makes his best lion sound, which sends Jade and Finn both into a fit of laughter. Jade chuckles all the way back into the bathroom, where she tells her boyfriend what the toddler had done. They know they still have a few hours before they have to leave, so they dress in comfortable clothes for the time being.

"So," Beck says, and wraps his arms around her waist, "what's for lunch?"

"Anything that won't ruin the baths they just took," Jade answers. He smiles and leans in for a kiss.

"So... no spaghetti. No mac and cheese. No jelly. No ketchup. Nothing sticky, gooey, or messy. I think we're screwed."

Jade laughs. "Turkey sandwiches it is. You want to go find out what Andre wants on his while I get the boys settled?"

"Perfect." She starts to walk away, but he catches her hand to pull her into his arms again. "As long as I get to stay here and kiss you some more." Beck closes the space between them and kisses hungrily at her lips.

When they stumble backwards so that she's pinned up against the counter, she pulls back to take a breath. "We just showered," she whispers. "And the boys are ten feet away." Beck keeps kissing her anyways, until he finally forces himself away.

"Tonight," he promises her, and kisses her forehead and lips again. Jade is still smiling by the time she gets Finn and Ezra seated in the kitchen. She makes both of their sandwiches the way they like it—crust cut off and all—and then Beck joins her to make his own and Andre's.

When they've got half an hour left before they need to leave, and the boys have both had their naps, Beck and Jade decide to start dressing them. "Boys," Beck calls them from where they're playing at the Lego table. "Come to my room; it's time to get ready for Uncle Andre and Aunt Tori's wedding!"

They run together, Ezra tagging along a few steps behind his older brother, into the master bedroom. Beck and Jade help them into their tuxes, and Jade is tying Finn's bow tie when she notices that he seems nervous. "Everything okay, buddy?"

A look of worry and confusion flashes onto Finn's face, and Jade can't get over how adorable his expression is. "What if I mess up? What if I drop the ring or do something wrong?"

Jade fixes his tie and cups his cheeks in her hands. "Finn," she says softly, "you are going to be the best ring bearer there ever was. And even if you do mess up, nobody will mind. You know why?"

"Why?"

"Because you look so handsome in this tux, and you are going to be the cutest boy at this wedding." This makes Finn smile, and he falls into her arms so she can hold him. Jade kisses the side of his head and hugs him tightly until he feels better.

When they arrive at the church, the bride and groom take pictures each with the bridesmaids and groomsmen. The complete wedding party photos—any one for which Andre and Tori will be in together—will have to wait until after the wedding, but they knock out as many as possible beforehand. Beck and Jade take pictures together as a couple, and then the boys join them for a few family shots. It never crosses his mind for him, Finn, and Ezra to take a picture without Jade—and there's no denying that she makes the photo feel immensely more complete.

The procession begins with Beck and Tori's sister Trina, the respective best man and maid of honor. Jade walks on the arm of Andre's brother Miles, and Cat, another one of Tori's college friends, walks with their friend Robbie. When Finn and Ezra walk down the aisle side by side, Beck and Jade are smiling like the proudest parents on the planet. They see how carefully Finn is walking with the rings on the little pillow he's holding, and Jade lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding when he finally hands them to Beck.

While Finn moves, as he's supposed to, to sit with his grandparents in the second row, Ezra has other plans. The toddler instead heads for Jade, who bends down to kiss him and remind him that he's going to sit with Grandma and Grandpa for a little bit. Carole helps him into the pew and sets him on her lap just as the ceremony is continuing.

Cat and Robbie's daughter, Ramona, tosses petals down the aisle as the flower girl, and then the crowd rises for Tori. Andre is grinning from ear to ear as he stares at his bride, but Beck can't take his eyes off of his own girlfriend. Finn and Ezra are standing on the seats to see their aunt, and whispering to Carole about how pretty she looks.

About three fourths of the way through the wedding, Finn asks to go to the bathroom. "Do you know where to go?" Paul whispers to his grandson.

"Uh-huh. I went here last night. I can go."

"Okay. You have to come right back."

"I will."

Finn scoots out to the side aisle, and Paul watches him to make sure he gets to the back of the church okay. Once Finn is in the lobby area, he spots the bathroom with ease.

"Finn!"

Though the six-year-old doesn't recognize the voice, he turns around to find its owner. "Hi!" The blonde woman pulls him in for a hug and Finn freezes still. "You've gotten bigger," Leslie notes.

"I have to go to the bathroom, and then I have to go right back to Grandpa," Finn tells her timidly.

"No, no. It's okay! Your dad told me that it's okay if I take you out for some ice cream. You know, since I haven't seen you in so long. We'll come right back, in time for the end of the wedding."

Finn doesn't know what to think, but he's afraid of what she'll do to him if she says no. "Okay."

"Great, let's go!" Leslie takes his hand and drags him outside, where she tells him he can get into the car she had rented.

"I'm not allowed to sit in the front seat," Finn tells her, his voice remaining small.

"Oh, you'll be fine. Don't be a party pooper." He is silent for the short car ride, until they finally get close to the ice cream parlor.

"When can I go back to my dad and Jade?"

"Jade?" Leslie's ears perk up as she furrows her eyebrows and looks over at him. "Who is Jade?"

Meanwhile, Paul and Carole begin to notice that Finn hasn't returned. The wedding ends shortly, and by this point Finn has been gone over ten minutes and Beck and Jade ask his parents where the six-year-old is. "He asked to go to the bathroom," Paul informs them, already seeming worried. "He didn't come back."

Without a word, Beck runs to the back of the church to finds that his son is nowhere to be found. Tori and Andre see him in his nervous state and immediately ask what the problem is, and Beck begins apologizing and asking them to help him look.

"Of course," Andre promises. "Beck, there are a ton of our closest family and friends here; everyone will help. We'll find him, don't worry."

Within five minutes, everyone is looking for Finn and Jade is on the verge of a panic attack. She's holding Ezra tightly in her arms, making sure that he doesn't leave her side for even a second, and Carole already has tears in her eyes. Paul is apologizing profusely, but Beck reassures his father that it's not his fault.

After fifteen minutes of no luck, Beck decides to call the police. He and Jade get in the truck, and Tori and Andre and Paul and Carole hop into their own cars to start driving through the small town to look for the little boy.

"Who is Jade?" Finn blinks a few times to stay brave, but he's scared at Leslie's angrier-than-before tone. The blonde pulls her rental car into the parking lot, but neither of them gets out. "Finn, tell me who Leslie is." When he still doesn't say anything, she rolls her eyes. "You're useless. Come on, let's go."

Beck is driving around the town, as are his parents and friends, and both he and Jade are looking out the windows for any possible sign of Finn. "I don't even know what I'm looking for," Beck seethes, and clutches Jade's hand tighter.

"Let's get out of the car," she tells him. "Pull onto Main Street; we'll park and get out." Beck does as she says, and he and Jade (who has Ezra in her arms) start frantically looking inside restaurants and shops.

"You don't want to go back to your dad," Leslie says, folding her hands on the table of the booth they're sitting in. "Don't you want to spend time with me? I'm your mom, after all. I miss you. You and...and..." She tilts her head. "What's your brother's name, again?"

The kindergartener is shaking with nervousness now, and Leslie has no patience for it. She holds off until the waiter brings their sundaes to prod him again. "Finn, god, just tell me his name. You're making me want to spike this sundae with some tequila."

"Ezra," Finn says quietly.

"Ezra. That's right, I knew that."

Beck is sweating in his tux, now, as he asks anyone and everyone to please call him if they see Finn. The police are everywhere, but no one has a lead until Beck gets a call from one of his college friends.

"Adam, listen, man, this isn't a good time. Finn is gone, and I—"

"Beck, calm down. I'm here at Dawson's and Finn is _here_. She's with Leslie, man."

"What? Leslie?"

"Finn seems a little off. I didn't know you were looking for him, but he's here. I'll make sure they don't leave."

Beck's face pales but he quickly sputters a thank you into the phone and then runs back to the truck. Jade hops in with Ezra, and they're at Dawson's Ice Cream in less than two minutes. They rush into the store and the welcome bell jingles, prompting Finn to turn around and see Beck and Jade.

He instantly scoots out of the booth and runs to them desperately, and Beck holds him tighter than he ever has. "Are you okay?" He asks Finn as he looks him up and down to make sure he's not hurt. Finn's eyes are filled with tears, but he nods his head, and then he sees that Jade is squatting down to his level.

She's holding Ezra with one arm and the other is open towards Finn, so he hurries into her embrace and the tears start to fall. "I don't want her to be my mom," he cries quietly into Jade's shoulder. "Don't let her be my mom. I want you to be my mom."

Tori and Andre rush into the restaurant, and every patron's eyes fall on the brunette in her wedding dress. "You found him!" She exclaims, but then notices that the air in the ice cream parlor is unusually tense. As soon as her eyes fall on Leslie, Tori's heart rate picks up and she feels her new husband's arm on her shoulder.

Before she can say anything, Beck has already turned towards his ex-wife. "What the hell are you doing here, Leslie? You can't just show up out of nowhere and take my son!"

"Don't make such a scene. He wanted to come with me. Shows how good care you take of him. And, by the way, he's _my_ son too."

"He's scared to death," Beck argues, boiling with anger as he gestures to Finn. The six-year-old is still in Jade's arms, and she's rubbing his back to comfort him while still holding Ezra. "You need to leave. I don't know why you're here in the first place, but you need to go."

Leslie ignores him and stares curiously at the girl behind him. Even as she stands up from the booth, she doesn't take her eyes off of Jade. "This must be Jade. Having fun keeping my spot in Beck's bed warm?" She looks at her ex-husband. "I'm surprised you haven't knocked her up yet."

Leslie barely gets her last word out before she's slapped harshly across the face. The restaurant falls silent. "That's for crashing my wedding," Tori tells her. Beck, Jade, and Andre's mouths all fall open, but no one stops her. When Tori slaps the blonde again, she holds out her pointer finger accusingly. "And _that_ is for thinking that you can come back here and try to ruin people's lives all over again. Get the hell out of this city."

Leslie takes a few deep breaths and rubs her now-red cheek. "Wouldn't you just love that?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tori spits back.

"It means I'll be here for a while. And if I'm not welcome in my own home—"

"It's not your home anymore," Beck interrupts her. He turns around to take Ezra so Jade's armload is lightened, and Jade rises to stand with him.

Leslie continues anyways. "Then I'll be booking a hotel. I want to see my sons."

"They're not your sons anymore either, Leslie," Beck seethes.

"Aw," she smiles pretentiously, "of course they are." She glares at Jade again. "You think that just because Beck has you playing his housewife that you can replace me? You're nothing but his sl—"

"That's enough," Beck silences her sharply.

Andre puts a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "Let's go, Beck. Let's go." He reaches for his wife's hand and Beck grabs ahold of Jade's, and the four of them leave with the boys.

"See you guys later." Leslie smirks and sinks back into the booth, but none of them turn around.

After a brief discussion, they agree that they're not going to let Leslie ruin the day that they'd been so looking forward to. Beck and Jade tell the newlyweds that they'll meet them at the reception, and proceed to load back up into the truck.

While Beck buckles Ezra into his car seat, Jade sits in the passenger's seat with Finn in her lap. He hasn't said a word since crying into Jade's shoulder, and his head is still rested on her. "You're safe now, buddy. I've got you. We're not going to let anything happen to you. I promise."

Beck gets into the driver's seat and runs a hand through Finn's hair. "I'm so sorry, Finn. I'm so sorry."

"I didn't want to go," he promises them through tears. "I wanted to go back to Grandpa."

"We know you did." Beck holds his hand tightly. "Everything is okay, buddy."

"I don't want her to be my mom again. I like when Jade is my mom."

Jade holds him tighter and hopes that he's not bothered by the fact that he can almost certainly hear her heartbeat. "I love you, Finn." She doesn't know why it's so easy to say to him, but it feels right to finally say it out loud. "I love you so much."

He sniffles. "I love you, Mama."

Beck smiles, and they sit in a peaceful silence until Jade can feel that Finn has calmed down significantly. Beck brushes some of his son's hair out of the way. "Do you want to go home? We can go home, or we can go to the party for Aunt Tori and Uncle Andre. It's totally up to you."

He sits up. "I want to go. I want to go to the party. Please?"

"We can do that," Jade answers. "Are you sure?" He nods his head, so Jade helps him into the back seat to get strapped in.

Thirty minutes into the reception, Finn is back to his usual self. Beck and Jade are still on edge, but they're at least able to enjoy themselves for the most part. At one point, Ezra wanders to the other side of their table and Jade almost has a heart attack until Andre plops the toddler back into her arms. "Bear, you have to stay close to Mama and Daddy."

"I see cake!" He points excitedly to the weddingcake, displayed beautifully behind the bride and groom.

"I know." She kisses him. "But when I don't know where you are, Mama's heart hurts. Okay?" When Jade sits back down, with Ezra in her lap, she has a pleasant conversation with Paul and Carole. Beck, in the meantime, is walking with Finn to the candy bar to get some treats.

"Dad?"

"Yeah, buddy?"

"Will you ever get married?"

Beck keeps his hand in his son's. "What makes you ask that?"

"Well, Uncle Andre told me yesterday that he loves Aunt Tori more than anyone in the whole world. And he said when two people love each other that much, they get married."

"I love you and Ezra more than anyone in the world," Beck reminds him.

"What about Mama?" As soon as Finn says it, he looks up at Beck with his cute, confused face. "Wait, is it okay if I call her that?"

Beck grins and ruffles Finn's hair. "Yeah, buddy. It's okay."

"Okay. Well wouldn't you want to marry her?"

"Would you want me to marry her?"

"If you did, would she get to live with us? And be there all the time?"

"Yeah," Beck answers. "It means she would be there forever."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"Dad?"

"Hmm?"

"I want you to marry her."

Later in the evening, when both of the boys have fallen asleep, Paul and Carole offer to hold them so that Beck and Jade have some alone time. When Frank Sinatra's _Just the Way You Look Tonight_ comes on, Beck pulls his girlfriend to the dance floor and wraps his arms around her.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look yet?"

"This would be the sixth time, unless I'm missing some."

"You look stunning." Beck leans in to kiss her, threatening to remove all of the stress from their hectic day. "I'm sorry about what happened earlier."

"Don't be." She sets her palm on his cheek and he leans into her hand.

"I know you originally told me that kids weren't really your thing." Jade rests her head on his chest and Beck holds her close. "But the way you were with Finn today... It just made me realize that, no matter how terrible Leslie was to him—and no matter how scared he was to let you in—he still wants to have a mom." Beck considers telling her Finn's comments about marriage, but he decides to save it for later. "I love you, Jade. I love you and our boys more than anyone in the world."

"Beck?" She lifts her head to look at him and takes a deep breath. "I'm sorry for the way that Leslie treated you. You are the best man, and the best father. Don't ever doubt that, okay?"

He kisses her again. "You're so sexy when you're nice to me," he jokes, and Jade rolls her eyes. Her expression soon turns to a more serious one, so Beck instantly tunes in.

"What are we going to do if Leslie really does stay?"

"I don't know," he sighs. "I hope she was just bluffing. If she's not, I swear to god, I'll do everything to keep her away from the boys."

Jade nods. "She doesn't have any rights, does she?"

"None. She's not on good terms with the court, either, because she didn't pay child support for a year until they threatened to arrest her for it."

"Okay, well that will only hurt her in case she tries to get time with them." She runs her fingers through the base of his hairline behind his neck. "Don't worry about it, babe."

Three days later, no one has heard anything from Leslie. Jade, however, does receive an interesting phone call—the information of which she relays to her boyfriend when she brings him lunch at work.

She opens his office door with her free hand, and he takes the bag of food from her so that she's not carrying so much. "Hi," he says, and kisses her and then the toddler in her arms.

"I have banana!" Ezra exclaims in his cute, little voice. He claps his hands together and bounces in Jade's arms, making his parents laugh. Jade sits on the other side of Beck's desk and pulls the baby's banana out of her purse. She breaks it in half to make it easier for him while Beck sets out their lunch.

"So, my dad called me earlier," Jade tells him.

"What'd he say?"

"He and Margot booked their flights to Breckenridge. They'll be here on Friday and they want to get together for dinner."

Beck's eyebrows shoot up. "With the boys?"

"With the boys."

He nods his head. "Okay, that sounds good," he says, and continues eating his sandwich until he realizes she's staring at him. "Why are you looking at me like I've lost my mind?"

"Have you?"

"Jade, your dad can't be that bad."

"You haven't met him—and, believe me, there is a reason I have kept him away for so long. He's not pleasant, Beck. He's snobby and self-important and his wife is a fake blonde airhead. I can't stand her."

"I know. But we've been dating for nearly a year now and I still haven't met your dad. What all does he know about us?"

She shrugs. "He knows the basics."

Beck scoffs. "Be more general, would you?"

Jade rolls her eyes and takes a sip of her coffee. "He knows that we're together, and that we're serious. And I've told him about Finn and Ezra."

"So it'll be fine! It's one night. One dinner—a few hours, tops."

"I don't really want them around the boys, babe. I don't want them to freak Finn out; he's been through enough lately."

"Then we'll leave them with my parents. Just you and I will go. And you've officially run out of excuses." He grins proudly and she rolls her eyes again.

"Whatever."

That Friday evening, Beck drives himself and Jade to meet up with Collin and Margot West at one of the town's nicest steakhouses. As soon as they walk in, they see that the other couple has already been seated. Collin rises upon seeing his daughter and his wife follows suit.

"Jade!" Margot squeals, and he brunette resists a snarky expression only thanks to Beck's squeeze of her hand.

"Hello, Margot." She forces a smile on her face and lets the older woman pull her into a hug. Collin also hugs her, awkwardly, and then pulls back to see her companion.

"You must be Beck Oliver," Collin says, offering out his hand for the young man to shake.

"Pleasure to meet you, sir." Beck shakes Margot's hand as well, and he and Jade slide into their seats.

"I appreciate the two of you making time to dine with us. Could the boys not make it tonight?"

Beck smiles warmly. "They wouldn't take too well to a place like this. I don't think the staff is very kid-friendly," he laughs.

"And it's already past their bedtime," Jade adds pointedly, in a tone that suggests it was idiotic of Collin to even think about bringing young children to an 8:00 dinner at a fancy restaurant.

"Ah. Well, I'd love to meet them sometime." The waiter arrives and takes their appetizer and wine requests, and Collin isn't subtle about changing the subject. "So, Beck, what do you do for a living?"

Jade refuses to hold back an eye roll; of course her father wastes no time with determining Beck's worth.

"I'm an architect. I design buildings, houses, public parks... And then I work with contractors to put the construction into action."

Collin nods his head. "I'm glad to hear you have a respectable job. Jade seems to think she'll get by from taking people's pictures like she has since she was a teenager."

"Dad," Jade starts, but Beck overrides her.

"Actually, Jade is one of the most popular photographers in Breckenridge." He places a hand on her thigh under the table. "Everybody wants to hire her for their weddings, birth announcements, graduation photos, and event coverage." Beck smiles at his girlfriend and then at Collin and Margot. "A couple Saturdays from now, actually, is one of the town's biggest events of the year: the Blue Moon Festival. And she's the head photographer for the city newspaper's story on it."

"That's wonderful!" Margot cries. "See, Collin, dear; not everyone has to be a CEO to be happy and successful."

Jade shoots Beck a _why-are-we-here-again_ look, but he just smiles and rubs her leg affectionately. Collin ignores Margot's comment and continues with his questions for Beck. "So, have you always lived here in Colorado?"

"No, sir. My family is from Canada, and my parents moved us to Breckenridge when I was thirteen. I grew up in the same neighborhood that I own a home in now."

Their wine arrives and Collin stays on his roll. "And your sons live with you full time?"

Jade finally interrupts. "Is this a dinner to meet my boyfriend or a job interview?"

"Jade, I'm only interested to hear about the man you've been seeing. If you're as serious as you seem, I think it's fair for me to get to know him."

Jade relents and Beck redirects the conversation. "No worries, Mr. West. I do have full custody of the boys; their biological mother is not in the picture."

"Biological?" Margot asks, and Beck is surprised by the word she had picked out. "Do they have an adoptive mother?"

Jade flushes red—she and Beck have not exactly had the conversation about Jade officially adopting the boys as her own, and this is _not_ her ideal time or place for that discussion. Beck senses her discomfort instantly and folds his hand into hers to hold on her lap.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Margot says, not really seeming apologetic at all. "Was that too personal of a question?"

"Yes," Jade tells her upfront.

Despite her answer, Beck notices that the couple sitting across from them is still looking for an answer. "It's okay. Jade isn't officially their adoptive mother, but the boys wouldn't know what to do without her," he says simply. "And to be honest, neither would I."

The rest of dinner is at least a little more comfortable than the way it had started, and soon Beck and Jade are back at home. Since the boys are at Beck's parents' house, they have the place to themselves. While Jade gets ready for bed, Beck does a quick check on all the locks in the house. The last thing he wants to do is ignore the fact that his crazy ex-wife is still probably in this city, and he wouldn't put it past her to try to come back to the home she once lived in.

By the time he arrives back to his room, Jade is laying on the bed waiting for him. She's dressed in his favorite one of her lingerie pieces, and she's staring at him so seductively that his pants get tighter in mere seconds. "Hi, babe," she says casually, as if she doesn't know the effect she has on him.

Beck walks over to the bed and she props herself up on her knees to almost reach his height. She places her hands on his shoulders and rubs them soothingly, but eventually gets impatient and starts unbuttoning his shirt. He's eyeing her as she does, and—as agonizing as it is to let her undo each button instead of ripping it off himself—he waits for her to finish. It only builds the tension, after all.

By the time his shirt is on the floor, though, Beck has waited long enough. He pounces on her, and they spend the next several hours taking full advantage of the fact that they have a kid-less house.

The following week, once Finn is at school and Jade is at work, Beck stops by his parents' house with Ezra for a brief visit. His mother welcomes him in with a warm hug and smile, and they walk into the living room area to sit.

"So," Carole says as she pours her son a cup of coffee, "when are you going to do it?"

"I want to do it this weekend." Beck accepts the mug and watches Ezra play with a toy in his grandmother's lap. "Andre and Tori offered to watch the boys for a night, so I figure I'll take Jade out and ask her then."

"This is so exciting! So, you spoke with her father?"

"I did. We went golfing, and I promised him that I would take care of Jade for the rest of her life. He made it pretty clear that he thought twenty-four was too young to be married, but he did comment on us seeming ready and mature. I've got his permission."

"Oh, honey, I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks, Mom." Beck grins and watches as his mother starts to tear up. When she hands him the small velvet box, Carole opens it up to show her son.

"I want to tell you something," she says, and Beck nods. "You know that Leslie was never the one for you. I think you always knew. And just like you knew that, you also knew that it was the right thing to do to fight for and take care of Finn and Ezra rather than turning your back. You know right and wrong better than anyone I know, baby." Carole sniffles to prevent herself from crying and she rests her chin on Ezra's head. "You've known Jade was right since the day you met her. And I am so proud, and so happy, that you are doing this."

Carole hands him the box, containing her own engagement ring (which had also been her own mother's) and stands up to hug him.

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you, too. Promise you'll tell me as soon as you do it."

"Promise."

Over the next few days, the only thing on Beck's mind is how to come up with the perfect proposal. Although the idea of Leslie being in town had once consumed his mind with a fear that she would bother them again, he's become less worried about the ordeal that happened over a week ago.

The blonde, however, is far from exiting their lives. As she sits impatiently in a stuffy business office, she waits for her name to be called by the secretary. After what seems like hours, the woman behind the desk rises to make an announcement.

"Leslie Williams," she calls, and Leslie is quick to push herself into the room behind the door.

"Ms. Williams, my name is Curt Hannigan. Pleasure to meet you." He offers his hand and she barely shakes it before plopping down in the client chair. "How can I help you today?"

Leslie pulls her favorite lip-gloss out of her purse and applies it generously. "You're one of the best lawyers in the city, right?"

"I do have a reputation."

"Great. I need you to get me time with my sons."

* * *

**Title is a song by James Taylor.**

**Thoughts?**


	7. Chapter VII

.

_Chapter VII _

_It Had to Be You_

.

As soon as the doorbell of the Oliver home rings, Finn takes off to go answer it. A quick look out the side window tells him it's okay to open the door, so the six-year-old does to let his aunt and uncle in. "Hi!" He jumps into Andre's arms and leans over to kiss Tori's cheek. "Mama said you guys went to the beach after your wedding!"

"We did!" Tori says, closing the door behind her.

"It was awesome." Andre carries him into the kitchen area, where Ezra is still eating and Jade is washing a few dishes. She waves to them and continues on with cleaning. "We've got tons of pictures to show you, too."

Finn smiles happily at this and returns to the table to finish his dinner. His father enters the room shortly after and greets his longtime friends. "Alright, the boys are bathed and ready for bed. Finn can go down in a about an hour; 8ish, probably, and Ezra by 7:30."

"Mama, all gone!" Ezra exclaims from his high chair.

"Good job, buddy," Jade replies to him, and grabs a wet paper towel to clean the toddler's face.

"Here, I've got this." Tori holds her hand out for the towel and Jade gives it to her gratefully. "You go get dressed."

Jade does as her friend suggests and heads into the bedroom to finish getting dressed. She's still curious as to where Beck is taking her tonight, but her boyfriend has kept a firm stance that he wants to surprise her. While she flits around the bathroom, trying to decide what to wear and simultaneously trying to figure out what Beck could have in mind, the rest of her family is still in the living area. Beck finishes cleaning the kitchen, and Finn hops over to the couch to finish the movie he and Ezra had started earlier. Tori lifts the younger boy out of his high chair and he squirms to also get to the TV, so she places him on the couch next to his brother.

"Sick pajamas," Andre comments, once he notices that the boys are wearing matching pj's with bears on them. He joins his nephews on the couch so that Beck gets his chance to go finish packing up a few things for the date tonight. After fifteen minutes of Beck and Jade being gone from the living room—but still inside the house—Ezra picks up on the fact that they're not around. He stands up and looks for them in the room, and within seconds he bursts into tears.

Tori turns towards him immediately and looks at Finn to see if he knows why he's crying. "What's the matter?" She asks, pulling the toddler into her lap. Ezra is trying to speak, but Tori can't understand what he's saying through his tears.

Finally, Finn picks up on what his little brother is sobbing about. "He's saying he wants to give Mama a hug. I think he thinks they already left."

"Oh, buddy, it's okay!" Tori reassures him, and hugs him tightly. "Your mama and daddy haven't left yet! They're still here!" Unfortunately, her words do little to nothing to calm him down.

A few seconds later, though, a clanking of heels through the hallway alerts them to the fact that Jade is coming. The moment she appears in the room, Ezra looks up and reaches for her. "Hey," Jade says in a soft, sweet voice as she lifts him into her arms. "I'm right here, baby." Ezra rests his head on her shoulder and holds onto her as his heavy, short breaths turn into calmer, slower ones. "Mama wouldn't leave without giving you your hug." Jade kisses his head.

Beck comes back in, then, and asks if everything is okay. "Yep," Andre answers. "He just wanted Jade." He looks back and forth between Beck, Jade, and Finn. "Is he…gonna cry the whole time y'all are gone?" The look on his face is enough to make Beck laugh.

"No, he'll be fine," he promises. "He has a hard time with any separation from her, but once we're gone he'll be okay."

"He usually cries when Mama leaves," Finn adds. "He doesn't like it."

Meanwhile, Ezra has calmed in his mother's arms and Jade is talking to him softly. "You're going to have so much fun with Finn and Uncle Andre and Aunt Tori. Mama and Daddy will be here when you wake up in the morning, okay?"

Beck puts his arm around Jade and kisses Ezra's forehead. "Buddy, do you want to finish watching Toy Story?"

"Uh-huh," he says, but he doesn't move from where he's laying on Jade's chest. Jade walks over to the couch and sits next to Tori, and slowly she pulls Ezra off of her lap and places him into Tori's. She sits there with them for a few minutes, while Beck loads up the truck, until the toddler is distracted enough by the movie. Jade kisses both boys quickly, mouths a quiet thank you to Tori and Andre, and then gets up to join her boyfriend out in the driveway.

"Hi," Beck says as he opens the passenger side door for her. "You look amazing." He kisses her and shuts the door so that he can walk around to sit in the driver's seat.

"Are you going to finally tell me where we're going?"

He grins. "No."

"I hate surprises."

"I know."

"Beck."

"Jade, trust me."

She sighs and settles for holding his hand across the middle of the front seat. They ride in a comfortable silence until Beck drives the truck into a grassy area and parks it.

"Beck Oliver, did you plan a picnic?"

"I told you you'd like it." He unloads the basket he had prepared and opens the door to let Jade out. The area is clear of any other people, as it's a spot the two of them had discovered one Saturday while taking the boys on a hike.

They sit down on the blanket together and Beck places the basket between them. He pulls out an expensive bottle of red wine, followed by a dinner he had picked up from her favorite restaurant. "You went all out tonight, huh?" Jade places his hand over his and leans over to kiss him. "I love it." Beck smiles and pours each of them a glass of wine while Jade prepares both of their plates.

They eat and talk for over an hour before putting everything back in the basket. Beck's nerves are eating him alive, but he's more excited than he's ever been in his life. The velvet box burns in his pocket, but he doesn't feel right about saying what he's planned while they're sitting down. He needs to walk around, he thinks, and get some of his nerves out. "Want to go for a walk?"

They get up together and Jade kicks her heels off to walk more easily in the grass. Beck takes her hand and she intertwines their arms and rests her head on his shoulder. They walk until they eventually come to clearing, where the moon can be seen clearly through the absence of so many trees. By this point, Jade has a feeling of what he's up to and she feels like she's either going to cry or throw up. She doesn't know how she hadn't guessed it until now, and her heart is beating so hard that she's sure he can hear it. Before she can say or do anything, Beck's voice interrupts the silence.

"I know I was supposed to wait to fall in love with you," he says, and her head is still on his shoulder so that she doesn't have to look at him. Jade knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that, if she watched him say these words, the tears she's trying so hard to hold in will fall. "I was supposed to date you for a few years," Beck continues, "to be absolutely sure that you were the right one for me, and for the boys."

Beck turns her body so that she's facing him, and he holds her face in his hands so she isn't tempted to shy away. "I know you think I'm cheesy," he says, and he's grinning big enough to get a smile out of Jade, "but I really just couldn't help falling in love with you." He resists the urge to kiss her right at that moment, instead continuing on with the words he knows he needs to tell her. "And my boys fell in love with you almost as fast as I did. Hell, I think Ezra would be proposing to you any day now if I weren't doing this tonight."

She laughs at this, and ignores the fact that her eyes fill up with tears. He just admitted that he's going to propose, which would officially make her not only a wife but also a mother. It would make her a member of the Oliver family for the rest of her life, and it would give her more and more chances every day to give Beck and his sons the love they deserve. When the first tear falls from her eye, Beck wipes it gently with his thumb.

"If someone would have told me a year ago that I was going to meet a woman who loved me, Finn, and Ezra—right where we're at—I wouldn't have believed them. But here you are." Beck takes a deep breath and squeezes her hands. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life. I love you, Jade, like I have never loved another woman. And I'm not just doing this because I'll be making myself the happiest guy in the world; I've got two other guys who I know want to see you every day just as much as I do."

Jade has let go of his hands to wipe her tears, and when he drops to one knee, she has to close her eyes to remind herself that this is, in fact, happening. Beck opens the box in front of her and she sees his mother's gorgeous antique engagement ring. "Jade, will you marry me?"

She nods her head wordlessly and he slips the ring onto her finger. When he stands up, he pulls her in to kiss her and they're both smiling and he wipes her tears again. Beck carries her, bridal style, back to the picnic blanket, and they continue their celebratory make-out session. They end up making love right there on the blanket (they're thankful it's a private spot—and that it's dark). They laugh hysterically when they accidentally roll off into the grass, and decide together that it's worth it for whatever weird marks or burns they'll have from it tomorrow.

When they finish, she's lying on top of him and they're grinning as if they don't have a worry in the world. Right now, after all, they don't. "I love you," Jade says, and Beck starts laughing again. "You're supposed to say 'I love you too'."

He's still laughing. "You have grass all over your hair. It's _everywhere_."

"Yours doesn't look any better." Jade is laughing too, now, and she leans down to kiss him. "How are we explaining this to Tori and Andre?"

He grins. "I'll tell them I just have a _really_ kinky fiancé...and that we tried to re-enact the Lion King." His lie causes Jade to burst into laughter all over again.

"The sad thing is that I think we've seen it enough times that we could actually do that."

"We kinda just did," Beck replies. "And we're kinda about to do it again." Jade shrieks when he spontaneously rolls them so that he's hovering over her, and they realize that they're probably going to have twice the amount of grass stains by the time they actually make it home.

The next morning, both of them are exhausted. They've only been sleeping for four hours when Finn comes to the bedroom at 7:30 and jumps onto the bed. "Good morning!"

Beck opens his eyes lazily. "Hey, buddy. How'd you sleep?"

"Good," he answers plainly, and at this point Jade is stirring in her fiancé's arms. "Morning, Mama," Finn giggles.

"Morning, squirm." She yawns. "What do you say you get under these covers with us and we all close our eyes for a few minutes until Ezra wakes up?"

"Okay." Finn does as he suggests, happily crawling between the two of them to lie down. Beck and Jade get about ten more minutes of silence until they hear the almost two-year-old on the baby monitor. Jade rolls out of bed, somehow finding the energy to walk into Ezra's room, and picks her younger son out of his crib.

"Mama, I out!"

Jade smiles at the toddler and gives him multiple kisses on his face before carrying him back to the master bedroom. When she gets into bed, Beck watches as she catches a glimpse of her left hand. He leans over to kiss her and Ezra, and then uses pillows to prop himself up against the headboard. "So, Finn," he says, eyeing his six-year-old.

"Yeah?"

"Mama and I have some pretty exciting news."

"What is it?"

Beck grins. "Remember what you asked me at Uncle Andre and Aunt Tori's wedding? About if I was ever going to get married?" Jade furrows her eyebrows; this is news to her.

"Uh-huh."

"Well, I am."

Finn's eyes widen and he sits up to stare at his dad. "Wait, really?"

"Yep."

"You and Mama are getting married?"

"We are. I asked her last night and she said yes."

"Oh my gosh." Finn launches himself into Beck's arms and Jade smiles. "Thank you, Dad." Beck holds his son tightly and barely gets a word in before Finn has popped back up for more questions. This time, he faces Jade. "Mama, this means you get to live with us! All the time! Did Dad tell you that?"

Jade feigns surprise to please the six-year-old. "He didn't tell me that! So, I can live here?"

"Yes!" He explains happily. "You can move in today!" Beck laughs and Jade leans over to kiss Finn's forehead.

"That sounds great, buddy."

The next day is Friday, and everyone in Breckenridge is gearing up for the Blue Moon Festival. Beck is returning to work from a lunch break with Jade and Ezra when he notices a manila envelope on his desk. Curiously, he opens the large letter to pull out a multi-page document. His eyes do a quick scan over the words and his stomach drops. Without giving it a second thought, Beck grabs his cell phone and calls his ex-wife. She picks up on the third ring. "Leslie, what the hell are you doing?"

"Hi, Beck. I miss you, too."

"I don't miss you. Why is there a letter on my desk from your lawyer saying that you want visitation time?"

"I told you I wanted to see my sons," she replies simply, and Beck is fuming. "You were the one who decided to make it difficult by telling me no, so I had to go over your head and to the court."

"You're not going to win this one. You were an awful mother to Finn and Ezra when you were around, and none of us want you back now."

"I'm sure you'll get over it. Look at it this way; if I get to keep Finn and Ezra, say, on the weekends, that will give you more time to play with your little girlfriend."

Beck doesn't bother correcting her with Jade's new title; he's too frustrated. "It says here on this page that they'll be conducting interviews with family members and friends. I'm sure the lawyers will love it when Finn tells them how you took him out of a church against his will. And don't forget about the fact that nearly every person in this town knows how you treated the boys and me. Give it up, Leslie."

"I'm their mother," she persists. "I'm going to have time with them."

Beck hangs up the phone and runs a nervous hand through his hair. He knows Jade has a shoot right now and he doesn't want to disturb it, but he eventually finds himself desperate for the comfort that only one person in the world can provide him with. She picks up and he lets out a long breath. "Hi."

"What's wrong?" He knew she would instantly pick up on his tone.

"Are you done with your shoot? I don't want to get in the way."

"You're not," she promises. "We're taking a break for an outfit change, and Ezra just went down for his nap. What's going on?"

Beck sighs. "I would rather tell you the details in person, but... Leslie went to the court. She wants to fight for joint custody, or at least visitation time."

"Wait, seriously?" A shiver goes down Jade's spine and she feels the uninvited anger in her bones. "Is she insane?"

"She must be. I'm so sorry, Jade."

"Don't be sorry," she orders. "We can get through this. I'll see you at home in a few hours, and we can talk more about it."

"Okay."

"Beck?"

"Yeah?"

"Promise me you won't dwell on this for the rest of the day." He doesn't respond, and Jade wishes she could be there to hug him. "You are the best dad in this town, and everyone knows that. Leslie isn't going to get shit. Don't let her ruin your day."

"I love you."

"I love you, too. I'll see you in a bit."

"Okay."

Later that evening, once the boys are tucked into bed (earlier than usual, since they'll have a long day at the festival tomorrow), Beck and Jade sit on the couch together. "We have to get interviewed," he says finally.

"Interviewed? By who?"

"The case social worker. They want to assess our relationship and 'family life balance', whatever that means. We have to take the boys, too."

"Okay, well it could be worse," Jade points out. "Besides, you're good at talking to people." He nods his head, but he still seems like he's in a daze. "Beck, look at me." He does as she asks, and she can see the worry in his face. "She's not going to get visitation rights," she says, seemingly reading his mind.

"She can't."

"There are _at least_ two people who love Finn and Ezra more than Leslie ever has—and both of them are sitting in this room. They wouldn't choose her over us."

Beck rubs her thigh, as Jade's legs are strewn across his lap, and leans in for a kiss. "You're right."

She grins. "I'm always right."

"True. What time do you have to be at the festival tomorrow?"

"Early. They want pictures _before_ everyone gets there, too, so I'll probably go around eleven." She's absentmindedly playing with his hair, which he loves and will never call her on. "And Finn said on the way home from school that he wants to come with me."

"Why am I not surprised? How about this: we all go early so you can get your shots; then, we have lunch together at Blue Moose and head back over to the festival?"

"Okay." She rests her head on his shoulder and Beck drops a kiss to her hair. "You know what's crazy?"

"Hmm?"

"Around this time, last year, I was meeting the boys for the first time." Beck smiles and holds her tighter.

"And now you're their mom," he adds. "And we're getting married. When are you moving in, by the way?" He's half-kidding, because she's practically lived with them for several months now, but another part of him is eager to get her officially moved into the house.

"We could start on Sunday," she suggests. "Veronica has already found a new roommate...some friend she met at work. She's basically just been waiting for me to move out."

Beck laughs. "Sunday sounds perfect."

The next morning goes just as they had planned. The boys are ecstatic about getting to go to the festival early, and they eat lunch with Tori and Andre before all walking back over to the town square. Beck and Jade had decided to bring the stroller, since Ezra is missing his nap for the day and will probably need somewhere to sleep. So far, though, both of their sons are energized as ever about being at the Blue Moon Festival.

Over the course of the next hour, they play games, do some rides, and say hi to family and friends. Beck isn't shy about telling people about the engagement, and there isn't a single person who isn't happy for them. Carole Oliver has also told everyone she knows how excited she is for her son and future daughter-in-law, making the ring on Jade's finger the biggest piece of news all day.

When Finn decides he has to go to the bathroom, Beck walks him into town, leaving Jade and Ezra to explore the petting zoo. The toddler is giggling wildly as he plays with the bunnies, and Jade is snapping tons of adorable pictures. "Ezra," she says, to get his attention, "show Mama the bunny!" He's crouched down, with a loose grip on the animal, and grins as Jade captures more of the cuteness. She checks out the photos she's just taken, and when she looks up her heart stops.

Leslie has appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and is bending over to ruffle Ezra's hair. "Get away from him." Jade's voice is sharp and unforgiving, and she instantly moves to pick him up.

"Mama, I see ducks!" Ezra points to the little animals behind them, but Jade's only response is to rub his back protectively.

"Calm down, crazy." Leslie stands up and fixes her curls. "I just want to see my son."

"Right. He calls me mama and he's _your_ son. Remind me how that works again."

"Go ahead and keep on playing house. Beck will get tired of you, just like he did of me. It's what he does."

Jade scoffs. "He got tired of you because you couldn't handle your liquor and you were a terrible mother. And don't forget, Leslie, that you left _him_. You were the one who chose not to be in their lives."

"That was the past. Once the courts see how much better I'm doing, they'll know I deserve time with the boys. And then, Beck will realize he's still in love with me, and you'll be nothing but a fling."

"You really are crazy, aren't you?" Jade shakes her head. "I don't know what your angle is, but—"

"You know, I might be crazy. But at least I wasn't cowardly enough to get an abortion." Jade's face turns a ghostly white and she thinks for a second that she might drop Ezra. "You're probably wondering how I found out. Not everyone in this town is your biggest fan, you know." Seeing how there's only one person in the world that knows about this, Jade knows exactly who told her. What she can't figure out is how she would have found him—or why she cares so much.

"That's none of your business."

"Oh, but isn't it your fiancé's? It seems kind of weird, doesn't it? You get an abortion in college, but a few years down the road you suddenly want to be a mother to a kid the same age as the one you could have had."

Jade is eternally grateful that no one else is around at the moment. "Beck knows," she lies. She'd been terrified to tell him, and the time was never right. Now, though, this piece of information is like a ticking bomb.

"Really? And he was okay with it?" Leslie knows she's lying. "Because both times I got pregnant, I begged him to let me get an abortion. He insisted that we keep them, though, because he was so sure he wanted them."

Jade is shaking now, and all she can think is that she needs to get back to Beck as soon as possible. "Stay away from me. Stay away from me, and Beck, and the boys. You have no right to be here."

Leslie grins. Knowing that she has intimidated Beck's fiancé gives her a power high that she hasn't felt in too long. "I'll see you in court," she says, and leaves before Jade does.

Jade is still shaking as she exits the petting zoo. She spots Beck and Finn coming back from the bathroom and Beck notices right away that something is off about her.

"What's the matter? Are you okay?" He lifts Finn off of where he's sitting on his shoulders and holds his son's hand instead.

"Leslie's here," she explains nervously. Jade is not about to tell him what their conversation was about—not here, in public—and instead settles for letting him hug her.

While Ezra is completely oblivious, Finn notices the tension as he looks up at his parents. "Mama, what's wrong?"

Beck bends down to be at his son's level and puts his hands gently on Finn's arms. "Buddy, everything is going to be okay. You know Leslie?" Finn nods. "She decided to come to the festival. But it's okay, because you're always going to stay with Mama and me. I need you to do me a few things; can you?" He nods again and Beck smiles reassuringly. "I need you to keep close to us for the rest of the day. No running off, okay?"

"Okay."

"And second, if you see her, will you tell one of us?" He nods, and Beck pulls him in for a hug. "Good. It'll be okay. Mama and I aren't going to let her be mean to you again. I promise." When he stands back up, Finn takes Beck's hand and Beck takes Jade's and they start walking towards the Ferris wheel, which the six-year-old had requested they do. Jade tries to brush off Leslie's words, but on the inside she's still panicking.

What if Beck hates her for what she did? What if he thinks she's an unfit mother because she didn't want kids before meeting him and his? What if he calls off the engagement, and she has to be separated from him and the boys? Just that thought is enough to make her want to vomit, so she tries desperately not to think about it.

"Babe," Beck shakes her from her intrusive thoughts. They're about to get into their cart on the ferris wheel and she's still paler than usual. "Stop worrying. I'm not leaving your side for the rest of the day. She won't come back."

Jade nods and enters the blue cart along with her fiancé and sons. She sits on one side with Ezra while Beck and Finn sit across from them, and the boys are instantly enthralled. Beck reaches across the small in-between space to hold Jade's hand in her lap, and her mind starts racing again with how she's going to tell him.

After the ferris wheel, Finn and Ezra decide they want their faces painted. Finn gets his like a shark and Ezra picks a bear, and the way they get so excited puts a smile on Jade's face that makes Beck a lot less worried about her. As Jade does her job in taking plenty of pictures, the family of four makes their way around every part of the festival. Beck is on high alert for Leslie, so he spots her before anyone when she approaches them at the ring toss game.

Beck grabs onto Finn, who had been just getting ready to play, and pulls him back to be close. "Hi, Finn," Leslie says cheerily, and the six-year-old stares at her blankly. Jade takes the little boy's hand and prays that Beck's ex-wife doesn't mention anything about their conversation at the petting zoo. "I got an extra cotton candy, and I wanted to see if you'd like it."

"Leslie," Beck starts, but the blonde interrupts him.

"I was talking to my son." Beck rolls his eyes and keeps his arms wrapped tightly around the little boy. "So, Finn, what do you say?"

"Cotton candy makes my stomach hurt."

"Aw, I'm sure you could have just one piece," Leslie insists.

"He can't." Jade's tone is sharp as she glares at the other woman.

Leslie shrugs and bends down to be at Finn's level. "Your dad's girlfriend is no fun. Let me know when you get tired of her." She winks at Jade, and then looks at Beck. "You too, doll." With that, she spins on her heel and exits the festival.

Jade and Beck are livid and Finn seems annoyed. By the end of the festival, everyone is tired and they're glad to finally be back home. The boys are put to bed early, as the day had exhausted both of them, and Beck and Jade go to the master bedroom to start their nighttime routine.

Beck can tell that his fiancé is still irked, but he can only assume it's from Leslie's multiple appearances today. When she comes back into the bedroom after a shower, though, he notices that her face is red and her eyes are a bit swollen. "Jade," he says, and catches her arm as she tries to turn away from him.

"I'm fine," she snaps, but her voice cracks and makes her sound about as weak as she feels. She pulls her arm away and moves to the dresser, where she has a drawer in which she keeps some pajamas and lingerie. Beck waits until she's dressed and peeling back the covers to get in bed until trying to get through to her again. He knows that, when she doesn't want to communicate, it's most likely going to be a struggle.

"Jade," he says softly, and sets his palm on her shoulder.

"I don't want to talk about it." She's turned on her side to face away from him, but he's far from giving up.

"Did Leslie say something to you? Because if she did, babe, you can't let her get in your head. She's out of her mind; you know that." Jade doesn't say anything, and, much to her chagrin, her eyes again fill with tears. It takes ten long minutes before she shifts her body to face his.

"I have to tell you something."

* * *

**Title is a song by Frank Sinatra.**

**Thoughts?**


	8. Chapter VIII

.

_Chapter VIII _

_You've Got a Friend_

.

"I need to tell you something."

Beck nods and folds his hand into hers. "Okay." He's worried about what she might say, but more than that he's worried about _her_.

"You know that, when I met you, I didn't want kids."

"Yeah," he replies, and pushes a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"I never thought that I could be a mom." She sniffles. "And, if my mother was any indication of how I would do, I knew that that life just wasn't meant for me."

"But you're a great mom," Beck points out, hoping that his commentary will be helpful. He realizes he's wrong when she starts crying again.

"I was supposed to be one four years ago," she admits softly. Beck furrows his eyebrows, not yet understanding what she means. "I got pregnant my sophomore year in college, and I couldn't do it." Jade won't meet his eyes, for fear of the disappointed look on his face. "My dad would have freaked, and Ryder convinced me that we weren't ready. So I had an abortion, and I thought about it every single day after I did."

Beck's mind is racing. He doesn't know if it's his right to get upset with her about the abortion itself, but he can't help but be upset about the fact that she hadn't told him before. At the same time, he sees how broken his fiancé is and it makes his heart hurt.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," she says, before he can ask. Jade finally looks up at him and he wipes a tear from her face. "I didn't know that I could want or love kids until I met Finn and Ezra. I didn't trust myself." She wants to tell him that she wishes she had the confidence that he'd had when he decided to keep his boys, but the words are too hard to get out at the moment. "Are you angry?"

Beck sighs. "I'm not. I just wish you would have told me sooner. You didn't have to be afraid to tell me; we tell each other everything."

"I know. But I've never told anybody this. And it's been the strangest thing, because, for the past year—since I've been with you, Finn, and Ezra—the pain I used to feel is gone. I didn't forget about it; I can't forget. But it's like the three of you fill that empty space." She takes a deep breath and her lip quivers again. "But I'm sorry, Beck. I'm so sorry."

Before her body starts to shake, Beck wraps his arms around her and lets her tears soak his shirt. "I'm sorry," she whispers again, but he hushes her and kisses the top of her head.

"I was just so worried about what you would say. And now Leslie knows, and she could try to use it against me in court, which could possibly jeopardize our time with the boys, and—"

"Shhh," Beck whispers. "Slow down." He waits for her to take a few deep breaths. "How do you know Leslie knows?"

"She told me today at the petting zoo, while you and Finn were in the bathroom. She tried to play with Ezra and I flipped out on her and then she told me she knows."

"So, Ryder..."

Jade nods her head. "I know he still hates me for ending things, but I didn't think he would do that."

"Okay. It's going to be okay." Beck didn't know if his own words are true, but he has to say them until they both believe they are.

"But what if she tries to use it against me?"

"Use what? You're a different person than you were four years ago, Jade. They'll see it when they interview us; you weren't ready to be a mom as a sophomore in college, but you are now. You _are_ Finn and Ezra's mom. There's nothing Leslie can say or do about that." He pulls her in to hug him again. "I love you. It's okay," he says softly. "I love you."

They stay like that until Jade has fallen asleep, and Beck gets up to turn off the remaining lights before crawling back into bed with her. He holds her and, eventually, falls asleep himself. Around three in the morning, Jade, who sleeps closer to the door, finds herself being tapped on the shoulder

"Mama. Mama, wake up."

She's not sure how, because she usually sleeps like a dead person, but Finn's tiny voice causes her to open her eyes and see him standing in front of her. "Hi, baby." She props herself up on one elbow. "Is everything okay?"

"I had a scary dream," he explains, and when he rubs his eyes she realizes that he must have been crying in his sleep. At this point, Beck is stirring and he looks up to see his son.

"You're safe now," she promises him, and pulls back the covers. "Here, hop in." A relieved smile appears on Finn's face as he slips into bed in between his parents.

"You okay, bud?" Beck asks, as Finn gets comfortable.

"Yeah, but... Dad?"

"Hmm?"

"Leslie isn't gonna take me again, right?"

Beck nods his head firmly. "Right."

"Okay. I had a dream that she did and I don't want her to."

Jade soothingly runs her fingers through the thick hair he'd obviously inherited from his dad. "We won't let that happen," she promises. Finn yawns and Jade kisses his forehead.

"Mama?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you sing a song?"

"Of course I will." Beck links his hand in Jade's, and Finn closes his eyes as his mother starts to sing his favorite James Taylor song. "When you're down and troubled and you need a helping hand, and nothing, nothing is going right... Close your eyes and think of me, and soon I will be there to brighten up even your darkest nights."

Beck joins in for the chorus, and he keeps his eyes on Jade as he sings for her and their son. "You just call out my name, and you know wherever I am, I'll come running to see you again. Winter, spring, summer, or fall—all you have to do is call, and I'll be there, yeah, yeah, you've got a friend."

When they finish the song, Finn is asleep, and Beck leans over his body to kiss Jade's lips. "I love you."

She squeezes his hand. "I love you, too."

By Sunday evening, just as they had planned, all of Jade's possessions have been moved out of the house she shared with her sister and into the Oliver home. With the help of Andre, Tori, Beck, and even Finn, they had organized the contents of most of the boxes and found places for them throughout the house. One thing that couldn't be moved with such ease was Jade's baby grand piano—a graduation gift from her father. But, while she carried a bit of disappointment from that, she was mostly just happy to be moved in.

The following Wednesday, Beck and Jade are scheduled for several hours of interviewing. According to the phone call they've received from the social worker in charge of their case, they'll undergo several interviews: individually, as a couple, and as a family. Their parents and close friends also have been asked to go down to the DA's office in to testify, simply so that Beck's lawyer can compile the best case possible for why he should remain the custodial parent.

Finn has off from school for a holiday, so Beck and Jade spend a leisurely morning with their boys before the social worker is making a visit to their house at noon. The couple doesn't bother explaining why they're doing what they're doing today to Finn; they figure it will be less stressful for him if all he knows is that some nice woman wants to ask them questions about their life. Twenty minutes before she's supposed to arrive, Beck is putting together some snacks for the boys and Jade is bringing a few things into the living room to keep them entertained. The house is clean, everyone is dressed, and the social worker arrives just a bit before she'd planned. When the doorbell rings, Jade accompanies Finn to the door.

"You must be Ms. West," the woman at the door says. "I'm Rebecca Cline, the social worker for your case."

"Just Jade is fine," she replies, shaking the hand that the lady offers. "And this is Finn." Jade rests her hands on the six-year-old's shoulders.

"Hi, Finn. My name is Rebecca." Once Finn has returned the greeting, Jade shows Rebecca inside and shuts the door behind them.

She sees her husband in the kitchen, pouring apple juice into a sippy cup for Ezra. "Honey, this is Rebecca Cline."

Beck sets the cup down and shakes the woman's hand politely. "It's great to meet you. Thanks for coming by."

"It's my pleasure. You have a beautiful home."

"Thank you." Beck smiles charmingly at her, and he and Jade both get the feeling that they're off to a good start. "Would you like a tour of the house?"

"That would be lovely."

Fifteen minutes later, they're back in the living room and Rebecca is ready to begin the family assessment. She sits on a chair across from the couch, where Beck and Jade take their seats. Ezra is content in Jade's lap as he flips through a toddler book, and Finn sits between his parents curiously.

"So," Rebecca begins, "you'll fill out some paperwork in a few days when you come down to the DA's office, just to confirm that all of the information I gather today is correct. For now, we'll just chat. My job today is to assess how you operate as a family and a couple. We'll begin with some general questions, and I'll get more specific as we move on. If you have any questions, feel free to stop me and discuss. Sound okay?"

"Sure." Beck smiles and puts his arm around Jade. His fingers brush against her shoulder and he rests them there.

"Great. So, the home: who all lives here?"

"We all do," Beck answers first. "I've lived here with the boys for about two years, and Jade recently moved in."

"And on the document you sent in, you said you're engaged?"

"We are."

"Congratulations," Rebecca says with a genuine smile.

"Thank you; we're all very excited about it." Beck smiles at Jade and Finn.

"Finn, how old are you?"

"I'm six."

"That's great!" Rebecca says, and Finn smiles shyly. "What grade are you in?"

"First grade."

"Wow, starting elementary school!" Rebecca clearly has experience in working with children, and it puts Finn at ease. "Where do you go to school?"

"Breckenridge Elementary."

"Awesome. And how old is Ezra?" She asks, looking up at his parents.

"He'll be two next week," Jade answers.

"Mama," Ezra says, as if on cue, "my juice." Jade takes the sippy cup that Beck hands her from earlier and gives it to the toddler.

Rebecca smiles. "I'm going to save all of the boring questions about work and personal history for when I interview the two of you alone. For now, I want to hear about you four as a family. Can you describe a typical day?"

"Well, on school mornings, Finn usually comes into our room around 7," Jade starts. "Beck or I will get Ezra from his crib, and we like to hang out in our room for a bit before getting up to go run."

"What kind of things do you do?"

Beck and Jade both try to hide their surprise; Rebecca wasn't kidding when she said things might get specific. Finn is the one, though, who answers her. "We snuggle." This makes all three adults smile. "And Dad tickles me and Ezra, and Mama tells him to be careful because sometimes Ezra will cry if he's tired and doesn't wanna play."

Beck laughs. "Finn is always up for game time in the mornings; Ezra would usually rather just lay with Jade. Anyway, once we decide to get moving, we go for a run. The boys stay in their pajamas and we bundle them up in the double stroller, and we do a loop around our neighborhood and the town square. Then we come back here for breakfast and start getting ready for the day."

"What foods do you usually have for breakfast?"

"The boys like eggs and bacon a lot," Jade says. "They have fruit every morning, too, and sometimes we'll do waffles or cereal or bagels."

"Mama, I eat waffle," Ezra announces, looking up from his book.

"You do eat waffles," she tells him, and kisses his head. "You love waffles."

Rebecca doesn't miss how fond the toddler is of Jade, and makes a mental note of the fact that she clearly seems like their biological mother. "Do you all have breakfast together?"

"Every day. We do breakfast and dinner as a family, and usually Jade and I try to meet up for lunch—depending on what the schedule is that day. Then we all meet back up at home; Finn practices reading and music theory, and we work with Ezra on numbers, colors, and letters. Then we have dinner, some music, and we tuck the boys into bed."

"Music?"

"Yeah," Jade answers simply. "I play the piano and Beck plays guitar. Finn plays on his mini keyboard, and Ezra...pretty much does everything else."

Beck and Finn both laugh. "He has all the baby instruments," the six-year-old says, and pats his little brother's head. "He plays on the triangle, the tambourine, and his pretend trumpet."

"He's also our drummer," Beck adds. "He can bang on a plastic bin like you've never seen before."

"And everybody sings!" Finn exclaims. "Even Ezra knows some words."

Rebecca smiles. "What kind of music do you sing?"

"A lot of James Taylor," Finn answers. "Dad likes him so much that he made my middle name Taylor."

"That is true."

"And Mama likes Carole King, so we do that, too. Oh! And—wait, who sings the song we did last night?"

"The Jackson Five," Jade laughs.

"Yeah! Them! We did I Want You Back, and Dad sang in this really funny voice."

"If you're going to sing a Michael Jackson song, you have to sing like Michael Jackson," Beck tells his son with a grin.

Rebecca has to remind herself that she's in an interview, and not just having a casual conversation with an obvious fun family. She goes on to ask for more details, like who makes the food, who does the grocery shopping, what kind of food the kids like, and roughly what time of day they eat their meals. "Do the boys have any food allergies or sensitivities?"

Beck nods. "Finn is allergic to peanuts and walnuts."

"He doesn't have any defined allergies other than those," Jade adds, "but his stomach gets also pretty upset when he has anything with a really high sugar content."

"On Halloween, I couldn't have a lot of the candy because it makes my tummy hurt," Finn informs her. "But Mama and me made spider cupcakes, and those are better than candy," he says with a giggle.

"Those sound awesome," Rebecca tells him, causing Finn to smile proudly. "What kinds of things do you guys do together outside of the home?"

"Mama, I see the puppy dog!"

Jade looks down to see Ezra pointing to the dog in his book, _The Very Hungry Caterpillar_. "That _is_ a puppy dog," she says. "What color is he?"

"White!"

"That's right! Good job, bear."

Beck smiles at his son. "We love to be outside," he says. "We go on hikes, and we love bike riding. This weekend, Finn is going to get the training wheels on his bike off."

"Maybe," Jade adds hesitantly. "We're not sure yet."

"Mama, I promise I'm ready!" Finn interjects.

"I know." She ruffles his hair lovingly.

Beck grins. "Jade's a little nervous about that part, but we've been practicing and taking it slow. He'll do great."

"As long as he's got elbow and knee pads on all limbs—and his helmet."

"I _always_ wear my helmet," Finn reminds her.

"Uh-huh, but I saw you and Dad in the cul-de-sac yesterday and you didn't have your knee pads on. You're lucky Ezra and I were in the middle of a puzzle, or else I would have come out there and put a stop to that."

Beck purses his lips. "Didn't know you saw that.

"Oh, I did." She looks down at the toddler in her lap. "Didn't we see Finn and Daddy on their bikes yesterday?"

"I ride a bike!"

"Yeah," Jade says, hugging Ezra to her chest, "and you won't take your training wheels off 'til you're at least thirteen, right?"

Beck laughs and makes a mental note to tease his fiancé later about how cute she is when she gets overprotective. He leans over to kiss her temple modestly and then turns back to look at Rebecca.

"So, if you have to leave the boys with someone, who keeps them?"

"My parents do. They live a few blocks down, in our same neighborhood. Other times, our friends Andre and Tori do. We've known them for a long time, and the boys love them."

"What about if one of the kids is sick? Who stays home with them?"

"It's usually me, because my schedule is more flexible. It's easier for me to move around photo shoots, whereas he has to find a way to get a couple of full days off of work."

"You're a photographer?"

"I've done freelance since I was seventeen," she answers.

"And Beck, what about you?"

"I'm an architect. My company designs the floor plans for houses and buildings of all kinds."

"How long have you been in the business?"

"Three years," he says proudly. "I finished college a year early, so once I graduated with a degree in Architecture and Design, I got the job right away."

"Awesome. Finn, what do you think you want to be when you grow up?"

He ponders the question seriously for a few seconds. "Well, me and Dad build Legos a lot, and Dad says I'm good at that. So maybe I'll be an architect like him. But I also want to sing and play instruments for a job, like James Taylor. Mama says I'm good enough to do that if I want to."

"What do you think your mom and dad want you to do?"

Finn shrugs. "They say I can do whatever makes me happy. And I'm happy when I build Legos, and I'm happy when I play piano."

Rebecca smiles. "I'm sure you would make a wonderful architect and a fantastic musician."

They wrap up the family interview after another half hour, and Jade excuses herself to put Ezra down for his afternoon nap. Beck gets Finn situated in his bedroom with a movie on the iPad, and the couple returns for their interview sans-kids. They sit down on the couch across from Rebecca, and Beck puts his arm comfortably around his fiancé while she sets her hand on his thigh.

The social worker proceeds to cover her bases with the general relationship questions. How did they meet? What qualities in each other were they attracted to? How did Jade feel about the fact that he had children? When did she move in? Twenty minutes passes before Rebecca announces that the rest of the interview will be dedicated to the current social and emotional aspects of their relationship. When both of them nod their heads in agreement, she continues. "About how often would you say you go on dates without the kids?"

"We try to have a date night once a week," Beck answers. "We're lucky that the boys love my parents and Tori and Andre, because it makes it pretty easy for us to do that."

"How do they do when you leave them?"

"Finn is easy; he loves it. Ezra is a little more difficult. But if he gets a hug and kiss from Jade before we leave—and if we're discreet and quiet about leaving—he's okay."

"Good. That's healthy," she comments. "The next few questions are quite personal—and I apologize for that-but they are necessary in evaluating you as a couple, and as parents." Beck smiles nervously, Jade's eyebrows shoot up, and Rebecca continues. "Do you feel like you have a healthy sex life?"

Beck turns red and Jade tries not to laugh. "I would say so, yes."

"We do," Beck agrees.

"And are you satisfied with your sex life?"

Beck blushes even harder and Jade twirls a strand of her hair. "Um," she says hesitantly, "well..." Her fiancé's head shoots up and over to look at her, and just the expression of pure horror on his face is enough to make her burst out laughing. "I'm kidding, babe."

Beck lets out the breath he'd been holding. "Not funny."

Jade grins. "It is too," she says, and taps his cheek gently. When she turns back to face the social worker, she tries to maintain a more serious expression. "I think both of us are satisfied with our sex life."

"Very satisfied," Beck adds.

"Wonderful. So, no problems expressing affection or intimacy?"

Jade hesitates. "I've struggled with showing affection in the past," she says, "simply because my father never encouraged it. But I have moved on from that, because I have three boys that need their hugs and kisses. And Beck and I have agreed that we don't want Finn and Ezra to be afraid of expressing themselves."

Rebecca nods. "How do you encourage them to?"

"We make sure they know that it's okay to tell us how they feel," Beck explains. "Ezra never knew Leslie other than for the time she was pregnant with him, but she definitely affected Finn by making him scared to cry, laugh, or even talk."

"He's come a long way, though," Jade points out. "He's doing so well. We do things like art and music with the boys partially because those are our favorite things to do—but also because it's a great outlet for them to show how they're feeling."

"Of course. And, do the two of you want children together? Is that something you've discussed?"

"It is," Beck answers happily, and Jade resists an eye roll.

"Not anytime soon. We want to wait until after the wedding, obviously."

"But maybe," he offers, "in a year or so."

"Is there a disagreement?"

"Not exactly. Jade thinks that Ezra won't handle not being the baby anymore very well. And she's right; he probably would have some difficulty, because right now, he gets all of her attention whenever he wants it."

"And a baby would take up a _lot_ of that attention," Jade reminds him. "But I'm not saying no. We'll see."

By the time they've finished the interview, Rebecca is impressed by how a couple that's been dating for just a year somehow has the stability of one that's been together for forever. She gets some time with each of them alone, during which she asks about personal history and thoughts about their partner. She's not surprised about what she hears; they're madly in love with each other and with the boys, and they don't have to say it explicitly for her to read that. For the final interview, Beck and Jade take Ezra into their room while Finn sits with Rebecca in the living area.

"How was your movie?" She starts out asking him, to be sure he feels comfortable.

"It was good. I watched _Cars_."

"Sounds fun! Do you watch movies and TV a lot?"

"Not really. I like to play outside or do music better."

"That's great; those things are good for you. Do you do any chores, too? Or mostly just play?"

"Mmm," he thinks aloud. "Well, I put my dirty clothes in a basket in my room. And I make my bed."

"Wow! Do you do it by yourself?"

"No." Finn smiles shyly. "Mama helps me. But only on school mornings. She and Dad say I don't have to make my bed on the weekends."

Rebecca smiles at him. "So, you're happy with your mom and dad?"

"Uh-huh." He nods easily.

"Can you tell me a little bit about Leslie?" As soon as the name leaves her lips, she notices the change in Finn's expression. "It's okay if you don't want to."

"I don't like her."

"That's okay. You don't have to like her."

"She made me go with her to get ice cream, but I didn't want to go."

Rebecca had heard this story from Beck, but she's eager to hear the six-year-old's version as well. "Why didn't you want to go?"

"She's mean. She used to yell at me, and she made Dad sad. And she doesn't even know Ezra."

"What do you mean by that?"

He shrugs. "She didn't know his name."

"She didn't know his name?"

"She didn't remember. She was asking me what it was and telling me I was annoying. I just wanted to go back to Mama and Dad."

"I'm sorry about that; that doesn't sound like fun. Can you think of any happy times with Leslie?"

"No."

"What about happy times with your mom?"

His mood instantly lightens. "Yeah."

"Can you tell me about one?"

Finn kicks his feet against the bottom of the sofa and looks up while he thinks. "I think this was last week, when Mama picked me up from school and said she had a surprise for me. She said we were gonna have a fun day, just me and her. And we went to the zoo, and I was already excited. And then she told me that she had a job to do at the zoo and that I could come with her." He's still smiling as he continues his story. "So we went to the black bears—which is my favorite animal—and the mama bear was having her cubs that day and _my_ Mama was taking pictures of it for a magazine! So I got to see the baby cubs! And then Mama took me to... Wait, what's that place called with all the pretty fruits and vegetables?"

"A farmer's market?"

"Yeah! We went there and Mama let me pick out all the food that we bought. She says that it's good to eat the rainbow, so we got a lot of different color foods!"

"Wow, that does sound like fun! So you guys eat a lot of fruits and veggies, huh?"

"Yup," he says, popping the P. "Dad says that if I eat them I'll get big and strong like him."

"He's right! What kind of stuff do you do with your dad?"

"You saw the Lego city in the play room, right?"

"I did."

"That's all what me and Dad have built. We do that together. And we play sports, too, like soccer."

"And how do you feel about your dad marrying your mom?"

"I'm excited!"

"Yeah? What are you excited for?"

"I want to see Mama in her pretty dress, and I want her to give Dad a ring so that they both have one. And also, my grandma says that when two people get married, it's for forever. And I want Mama to be with us forever."

By five o'clock, the interviews are over and Rebecca is leaving. Beck and Jade thank her for her time and decide that they're tired enough to order Chinese take-out—which Finn is very excited about. Over the course of the next several days, Rebecca has her hands full with many more interviews. She speaks with Paul and Carole Oliver, who give her plenty of testimony about how wonderful Beck and Jade are as parents and also give her more details about Leslie's relationship with them and their grandsons. She interviews Tori and Andre Harris, during which Tori gushes about how great Beck and Jade are for each other. Both of them also share their own unpleasant experiences with Leslie, and Andre explains how his wife is the closest thing the boys had to a mother—even when Leslie was still around.

Finally, Rebecca gets her chance to speak with Leslie herself. The interview, which lasts for close to two hours, reveals exactly what the social worker had been expecting. Leslie knew little to nothing about her biological sons; she had no idea of Finn's allergies, "forgot" both of the boys' middle names, and had no current plans for a stable living environment in Breckenridge. It didn't help that she was also a recovering alcoholic and had been working at a bikini bar in Miami for the past two years. The fact that she had also cheated on Beck for the majority of their relationship was the cherry on top.

The weekend before their case is heard in court, Tori and Andre invite several couples out to dinner. Beck and Jade drop the boys down the street at his parents' house, and they head to the Japanese restaurant together. Seated around one side of the rectangular table are the two couples, plus Cat, Robbie, Trina, and Trina's husband Mark. The chef will cook on the metal stovetop in front of them, so he and his equipment take up the table's other side.

As soon as the waitress comes to take their drink orders, Jade becomes annoyed of her. Her red curls bounce when she walks, and she stares at Beck so intently that his fiancé think the girl might drool. No one else notices, but it's enough to irk Jade. "Hi," she says to Beck in a perky voice. "Can I get your drink order?"

"I'll start with water," he answers.

"You look like a man who drinks a nice Pinot Noir." Jade rolls her eyes. "Can I get you a glass of our best?"

"Sure, that sounds great. Thank you."

The girl moves on to Jade, and loses her over-politeness too easily. "And for you?"

"The same," she replies monotonously.

Over the next fifteen minutes, the waitress hits on Beck at least another four times. Jade has hit her limit, and excuses herself from the table to use the restroom. When Beck gets a text from her reading, "Bathroom. Now.", he quietly whispers to Andre that he'll be right back and heads to the back of the restaurant. Just as he's texting his fiancé to ask where she is, Jade opens the door of the women's restroom and pulls him inside.

"Babe, wh—" But that's all he can say before she's kissing him, and he doesn't even bother to be grateful for the fact that the restroom is empty because he doesn't notice. They move together to the back stall, and once Jade locks it, Beck finally has time to catch his breath. "What are we doing?"

"I'm tired of watching that slut waitress try to flirt with you," she says as she begins to mess with his belt buckle.

"Wait, what?"

"Oh, please. Don't tell me you haven't noticed. She's been all over you."

"Jade," Beck says, holding her wrists so that she has to stop her movements, "I really haven't. She looks like she's eighteen, and that's about all I've picked up on. You're the only one I bother looking at." She kisses him again and he realizes she's managed to get him very worked up. "So jealous Jade is a horny Jade." He grins. "I can work with that."

She almost throws back an insult to defend against his teasing, but then his hand is snaking up between her legs and her mind goes numb.

Back at the table, no one has noticed the couple's absence—thanks to the entertainment provided by the talented chef cooking their food. Beck and Jade use the short amount of time they know they have to wrap up their quickie. Jade admires how good they've gotten at pleasing each other so quickly, and Beck is making plans for a sequel to their fun later on once they're home.

When they sneak back to their seats, Tori and Andre—who are sitting closest to them—are the only ones who notice. The brunette raises her eyebrows at Jade, who smirks and gets herself situated again. Beck sets his hand on her upper thigh (he can't help himself) and leans over to kiss her cheek.

An hour into dinner, Tori tells everyone she needs to make an announcement. "We've only told our parents," she says, smiling at her husband, "but...we're expecting!"

Gasps and congratulatory words fill the air, and Andre and Tori are both grinning from ear to ear. Beck leans over to give his longtime best friend a hug. "That's incredible. I'm so happy for you. How far along is she?"

"Thanks, man! A little over two months. We found out about a week ago, and we're stoked."

Tori is answering all kinds of questions, like how she's been feeling and what gender she wants and how she told Andre the news. It doesn't take long for Beck to notice that Jade isn't saying anything. She had told Tori congratulations and had a brief conversation with the other woman—but other than that, she's quiet. Beck plants a small kiss on her temple before whispering into her ear. "Everything okay?"

She nods and gives him a look that promises she'll explain later, but he can't stop thinking about it until he actually gets his answer. They pick up their sleeping sons from Paul and Carole's house and, once they're home, tuck the boys into their beds. It isn't until they're finished with their nighttime routine and both curled up in bed that Jade finally speaks.

"I'm sorry about earlier. I just didn't know how to react."

Beck rubs his fingers against her shoulder. "Don't be sorry. What do you mean?"

"Of course I'm happy for her, and for them. They'll be great parents. It's just weird for me because I never went through the whole process of being pregnant and having a baby; the boys kind of landed in my lap. And, tonight, Tori told me that she hopes she can be as good of a mom as I am."

This makes Beck smile. "Because you are an amazing mom," he promises, and presses a kiss to her forehead. "Don't sell yourself short."

Jade sighs. "It's just weird," she repeats. "A year and a half ago, I had no one to worry about but me. Now, the three of you are on my mind all day long."

He smiles. "I think that's the most romantic thing I've heard you say," Beck teases, and slides to hover over her. He props himself up with his elbows so he doesn't crush her and leans in for a kiss. "And, for the record, it might be the sexiest thing you've ever said, too."

Jade lets out a shriek-like laugh when he kisses all down her neck, pin-pointing her ticklish spot. "I guess you're pretty sexy yourself," she says more seriously, when he lifts his head up to look at her.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." Jade traces her finger along the upper portion of his chest. "When you're holding my babies in your arms."

He grins and closes the space between them, and this time it's a while before they speak again. "I love you," he tells her as he kisses down her stomach. And Jade almost says it back, but he's already started his movements and it becomes increasingly hard to form words. Beck doesn't mind.

Later, when all the lights are turned off and they've put some clothes back on, Beck is spooning her. "I don't want to wait to get married," he says.

She waits a few seconds to let his words sink in. "So..."

"So, I want to be married to you. I want you to be my wife, and I want the boys to be yours, legally." He nuzzles his head into the crook of her neck.

"We have a court date in four days," she reminds him. "Let's get through that first, hmm?"

"I know, I know. I just want us to be thinking about it."

Jade snuggles against him, and the darkness prevents him from seeing her smile. "Okay. Goodnight, babe."

"Goodnight."

* * *

**Title is a song by James Taylor.**

**Thoughts?**


	9. Chapter IX

.

_Chapter IX_

_The Lady is a Tramp_

.

"Mama?"

"Hmm?"

"Does Leslie have to go today?"

Jade finishes strapping on the second one of her gold wedges and sits up in the chair she's in. "Come here," she tells him. Once Finn is in her arm's reach, she pulls him up to sit on her lap. "She is going to come today, but you have nothing to worry about." He nods, but Jade can tell his little brain is still running. "Would I lie to you?"

"No."

"That's right. Leslie's not taking you anywhere. You'll sit with me, Dad, and Ezra. And Grandma and Grandpa will be there, too. It'll probably take about an hour or so, and then we'll all go to lunch at Blue Moose and everything will be okay."

By noon, Beck is parking the truck at the Breckenridge municipal court. He's dressed in a nice button down and slacks, while Jade is wearing her favorite green dress. Finn and Ezra are dressed up, as well, and everyone with the exception of the two-year-old is nervous about what's to come. Jade pulls the toddler out of his car seat and into her arms, and Finn holds her and Beck's hands as they walk inside.

Rebecca and Beck's lawyer, Arthur Pence, greet the family kindly and show them to their seats in the front row. When Paul and Carole arrive, they sit right behind them. Ezra is sitting in Jade's lap munching on Cheerios, and Finn is flipping through music note flashcards that his mother had made for him. Luckily, Jade is able to distract the six-year-old enough that he doesn't even notice when Leslie walks in and sits on the other side of the court.

Much to Beck and Jade's surprise, she's on the arm of a man neither of them has seen before. She doesn't acknowledge their presence—which both of them are grateful for—as she takes her seat behind her own lawyer.

"All rise." The bailiff's words as the judge enters the court prompt everyone in the room to stand. "Department One of the Breckenridge Superior Court is now in session. Judge Juliana Rowan presiding. Please be seated."

Beck stretches his arm above where Finn sits between him and his fiancé and rests it around Jade.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen," Judge Rowan says kindly. "Calling the case of the Oliver versus Williams for custody rights of their two children. Deputy Baker, please proceed."

The deputy DA, Ross Baker, who had worked with Rebecca on the case, rises to the podium to present. "Your Honor," Ross begins, "Ms. Cline and I have worked with both Mr. Oliver and Ms. Williams over the past several weeks for this case. The plaintiff, Ms. Leslie Williams, is seeking joint custody of both children from her previous marriage to Mr. Beck Oliver. She claims that her life is stable and that she is ready to reclaim her responsibilities as the children's biological mother. She is currently living in an apartment in Miami with her partner, Cody Reese."

Beck furrows his eyebrows and leans over to whisper in Jade's ear. "I thought she told you she was trying to win me back?"

Jade almost laughs. "She did."

Beck shakes his head and, as he looks over at the man sitting beside Leslie, he almost feels sorry for him.

Meanwhile, Ross continues. "Mr. Oliver seeks to retain full custody of the children, as he has had for the last two years since Ms. Williams left the state. He currently resides here in Breckenridge with his fiancé, Jade West."

"Thank you, Ross," Judge Rowan says, and the DA returns to his seat. "Ms. Williams, as the plaintiff, you may take the stand for your statement and a cross examination."

Leslie scoots out of her row and walks up to the podium, and Finn looks up at Jade worriedly. "It's okay," she whispers, and kisses his head. "It's okay." Beck sets his free hand on Finn's knee and smiles at his son to lighten his mood.

After the blonde has sworn in and the judge tells her she is free to speak, she begins. "Your Honor, I know that I have made mistakes in the past. It would be childish of me to ignore that. Leaving my husband and my children behind is a mistake I will always regret." Beck rolls his eyes. "I have started a new life in Florida with my boyfriend Cody, and I believe that I deserve to see my sons. I miss them; I am ready to take care of them, and I am willing to share time with my ex-husband if the court sees it fit."

When prompted by Judge Rowan, Beck's lawyer Arthur stands for questioning. "Ms. Williams, is it true that you were often an absent mother when you did have custody of your children?"

"Yes, but I was having a very difficult time emotionally. I am much better now."

"You say you believe you are prepared to take care of the children part-time. How is this possible if you could not recall the children's allergies, or list anything that either of them like or dislike?"

Leslie's face goes red, and she tries to cover it by clearing her throat. "They don't have allergies."

"That's false," Arthur informs her and the court. "One of the children has a serious allergic reaction to peanuts and walnuts."

Leslie scoffs. "We've made it clear that I left very soon after Ezra's birth. How could I know that if I haven't gotten to spend any time with him?"

Jade has to stifle a laugh. "It's Finn who has these allergies, Ms. Williams," the lawyer corrects her. "You also mentioned in your paperwork that you live with a boyfriend, Mr. Cody Reese. How do you expect the children to go from a home they're used to in a town they've always lived in, to a completely new city with two people they hardly know at all?"

Leslie looks nervous, but she knows she has to come up with an answer. "I'm sure we can work it out. It's not as if the boys aren't familiar with change; after all, my ex-husband has exposed them to plenty of it with his fiancé."

Beck rolls his eyes again, and Jade reaches across Finn to hold his hand. Her reassuring yet stern facial expression reminds him to calm down, because if he's not going to stay relaxed for himself, he at least needs to for Finn.

"Is it true that, several weeks ago, you took your six-year-old son from a wedding in order to spend time with him?"

"Yes. I knew Beck would be unreasonable about letting me see the boys, so that was the only option I had."

"But you did this without the permission of his father?"

"He wouldn't have let me."

"Final questions," Arthur announces. "Is it true that you are still in recovery from being an alcoholic for over four years?"

"Yes, and look how far I have come. I'm clearly doing better."

"And, lastly, how are you planning to support the children financially? What is your current occupation?"

"I'm a waitress and bartender," she says hesitantly, leaving out the fact that her work uniform is a string bikini. "Cody works at a car dealership, so, between the two of us, we will be able to support the boys for part-time." Her answer is less than impressive, and Arthur's facial expression says it all.

"No further questions, Your Honor."

Judge Rowan nods her head. "Seeing how there are no further questions, Mr. Oliver, you may take the stand for your statement and a cross examination."

Beck kisses Jade and his sons briefly before making his way up to the podium. "Your Honor, I'll admit that I was shocked when my ex-wife decided to file for joint custody. Throughout our marriage and time as parents, she had serious issues with alcoholism and was rarely present throughout the first several years of my older son's life. Just days after my second son was born, she drunkenly confessed that she had been unfaithful to me for the previous five years. She then left for Florida, and I had not heard from her until she showed up last month."

Beck looks at his fiancé, who is looking back at him reassuringly. Ezra is falling asleep in her lap, and her arm is wrapped around Finn, whose body is leaned against Jade. With confidence, he continues. "Over the last two years since Leslie left, I have continued to provide a stable home for my sons. We live in a safe neighborhood just down the street from my parents, and the boys are happy and well adjusted. Contrary to the ignorant statement previously made by my ex-wife, after meeting a woman whom I was positive would be good for my sons, I took my time in introducing her to them. One look at them will prove to you what I am saying now; she has become a crucial part of their lives, and of mine."

Jade smiles softly at him and, despite feeling multiple pairs of eyes on her, keeps her own eyes locked on Beck's.

"Your Honor, I am confident that my retaining sole custody of my sons is what is best for them, so that Jade and I can continue to raise two happy, healthy boys."

Judge Rowan smiles, seeming to understand Beck's perspective, and Beck then grins at Jade and Finn. "See," Jade whispers to Finn, earning a smile from the six-year-old. "Dad knows what he's doing." She drops another kiss to his hair as the judge is calling Leslie's lawyer Curt Hannigan up for his cross-Examination.

"Mr. Oliver," Curt says, "if Ms. Williams has clearly shown personal progress, why are you so unwilling to share custody with her?"

Beck's eyebrows go up and he wonders how many reasons he can list before they make him shut up. "My boys are my whole world; my job as a father comes first before anything else. I do everything that I can to make sure that they have the best life possible, and I don't trust Leslie to do the same. She doesn't know anything about them; this is only the third time she's ever even _seen_ Ezra. It doesn't make sense to me that she would get any custody whatsoever; she was absent when she was their mother, then she left for two years, and now she's back for a few weeks and wants ship them to Miami for half of their lives? No. I can't do that. I can't, and I won't." Beck shakes his head. "Being a dad is my life—but being a mom isn't hers."

The court is silent, Beck's parents are grinning, and Curt clears his throat somewhat awkwardly. "No further questions," he says before going back to his seat. Beck does the same, returning to his family.

"You were great," Jade whispers, and kisses him softly. "I love you."

He smiles. "I love you, too."

Judge Rowan speaks up, gaining everyone's attention. "Now that we have heard from both the plaintiff and the defendant, Ms. Rebecca Cline, please take the stand."

The social worker smiles at the judge, one of her longtime friends, and rises to present her findings on the case study. As she speaks, she details her interviews with Beck and Jade and with Leslie, as well as family and friends. It's clear to the court both that the boys are happy where they are and that Leslie is unfit to be a mother, and that's even before Rebecca discusses her interview with Finn. After making it clear that the six-year-old wants nothing to do with his biological mother, she concludes her summary and returns to her seat.

"Okay," Judge Rowan says, folding her hands together in front of her. "I think this case sort of decided itself, but here's what I'm going to do. Ms. Williams, you will be granted two hours of supervised visitation with the children per week. This means that Mr. Oliver will need to be present at the time of the visitation. And, to clarify, this right is yours—and not Mr. Reese's. You should be the only one visiting; boyfriends need not apply."

Beck sighs. It isn't what either he or Jade wanted, but it's much better than what it could be. "That being said," the judge continues, "Finn Oliver is over the age of five, and is therefore of age to decide whether or not he wants to partake in visitation hours." She smiles at the little boy, who looks confused. Rebecca turns around to face her clients.

"Finn," she says softly.

"Yeah?"

"You have a chance to spend up to two hours with Leslie—and your dad—every week. You don't have to if you don't want to, but you absolutely can if you do want to. It's up to you."

Finn shakes his head. "I just want to stay with Mama and Dad."

"Okay. So, no time with Leslie?"

"No, thank you."

Beck and Jade both stifle a laugh at him trying to use his manners.

"Alright," Judge Rowan announces, "the new ruling will be for Ms. Williams to receive two hours of supervised visitation with Ezra Oliver. Does either client wish to contest this?"

"Hold on," Leslie argues, rising from her seat. "Seriously? A six-year-old gets to make his own decision about whether or not his mother gets to see him?"

"Calm down, please, Ms. Williams. Finn is of legal age to speak up for himself in court, so, yes. May I also remind you that you are no longer his legal mother, and, at this point, using that title is probably inappropriate." Beck hides his grin behind pursed lips. "This is the ruling. Do you wish to seek your granted two hours with Ezra?"

Leslie is furious, and she looks over at the two-year old asleep in Jade's lap. She knows that, given Rebecca's earlier statements about how attached Ezra is to Jade, that Beck's fiancé will more than likely be at her visitation hours. This annoys her to no end, so she rolls her eyes and picks up her purse from where it sits in the pew. "No. This is ridiculous."

"Ms. Williams, are you saying that you do not want to comply with the court's ruling—and therefore forfeit any time with the children whatsoever?"

"Yes, I am. Can I leave now?"

The judge is appropriately shocked, but, on a personal level, the other woman's reaction doesn't surprise her much. "Alright. Mr. Oliver, you will continue to retain full custody of the children. Case closed; court dismissed."

Finn looks up at Beck. "Is it over?"

"It's over, buddy." He ruffles his son's hair. "Everything is back to normal." Beck turns around to face Paul and Carole and thanks them for coming. They tell their son how proud of him they are, and the group agrees to go to the Blue Moose for a late lunch.

When they arrive at the restaurant, Jade takes Ezra out of his car seat and Beck notices that their son has stayed asleep. He bends over to kiss his forehead. "You sleep like your mama, huh?"

"He's out," Jade says, getting the baby situated in her arms. "I'll let him sleep at least until the food comes, though; otherwise he'll be a grump later."

"Good plan," Beck agrees, and kisses her temple. He takes Finn's hand and the family walks inside with Beck's parents.

A month after the ordeal with Leslie and the court, the blonde is back in Miami and out of their lives. Beck and Jade re-settle into a harmonious rhythm with the boys, and busy themselves with wedding plans. Although neither of them wants a big wedding, they know they have some planning to do it they want to get married soon.

The snow in Colorado has started to fall in larger amounts, putting Jade into ultra-mother mode so she can make sure all three of her boys are properly dressed and warm when they leave the house. Beck starts to make his homemade hot cocoa (his mother's recipe) more frequently, and they light the fire in their living room every night.

It's a Thursday when the family of four faces something that they have yet to experience; Jade is leaving for a long weekend for a photo shoot in Denver, and it will be the boys' first time without her since she had come into their lives. "I don't know what I'm going to do without you here," Beck says as he watches her zip up her suitcase.

"You were on your own for a while before you had me," Jade points out, though she knows what he means.

"It won't be the same." She steps into his arms and he kisses her deeply. "You'll be back by Sunday?"

"Back by Sunday," she promises.

"Only three and a half days. I guess that's not too bad."

"Don't remind me." Jade lets him hold her and she takes a deep breath to appreciate how good it feels to be in his arms. "I don't want to be away from the boys."

Beck rests his chin on her head. "I know, babe. But they need you on this project, and you deserve to go."

She frowns. "Can't I just take them with me?"

"If kids were allowed, I know you would."

"We'll Skype every morning and every night," she reminds him.

"Of course."

They step apart and Beck takes her suitcase from the bed while Jade grabs her purse. "There's pasta and tortilla soup in the freezer," she says as they walk into the kitchen, "and banana chocolate chip bread on the counter. Finn can have two pieces; it's low-sugar. The laundry is folded and in everyone's clean baskets. Remind Finn to practice a little bit extra, because he's got that piano recital next week. And if you need anything," she says, turning back towards him, "please, _please_ call me. I'm a two hour drive away."

"Stop worrying," Beck tells her, and leans in for another kiss. "Everything will be okay. You're going to have a great time, and it's only for a weekend."

Jade nods, still worriedly, and turns so she can make her way to where the boys are sitting at the table. She pulls Ezra out of his high chair and hugs him tightly before kissing all over his face. "Mama loves you. I'm going to miss you so much, bear." Once she sets the two-year-old back in his seat, she bends down to be at Finn's level so she can give him a hug.

He rests his head on her shoulder and sighs. "I don't want you to leave."

Jade rubs his back. "I know, baby. I wish you could come with me. But I'll be back so soon; you'll barely even notice I was gone." Jade pulls back to look at him and she kisses his forehead. He hugs her again, and Jade holds him for a little longer before she realizes something. "Hey," she says, "look at me." It takes him a second, but Finn finally stands back to look her in the eye. Jade holds his hands tightly in hers. "I'm coming back, I promise. You don't have to worry; I'll be back in three days. Okay?"

He nods his head and she pulls him in for another hug, and Beck pretends not to notice that Jade is blinking back tears. A message on her cell phone alerts her that her taxi is here, so she kisses Finn and Ezra one last time before moving to her fiancé. "I love you," Beck says before kissing her briefly. "Have fun."

"I will. I love you, too. I'll call you when I land."

He helps her into her coat, and she's out the door a minute later. She despises the nauseous feeling she gets when the cab drives away from her home. She knows that Beck is more than capable of taking care of the boys alone, but she also knows how accustomed they've gotten to having her around. Her heart aches to get back to Finn, just to keep her promise that—unlike Leslie—she would be back for him. And she has no idea how Ezra will do with her gone, since he hasn't ever gone more than a few waking hours without her.

By ten o'clock, Jade has made the quick flight to Denver and landed in the big city. Since she's working with a team of photographers for the ski and snowboard competition, the man who had hired each of them sends drivers to get them at the airport. Jade sees a guy waiting with her name on his sign, and he helps her with her bag before driving her to the hotel. She checks in and, once she gets to her room, calls the first person on her speed dial.

"Hi, beautiful," he says into the phone, and despite his cheesiness she misses him already.

"Hi. How's work?"

"Not bad. We're still working on the floor plan design for the museum, and I've got Ez here to keep me company."

"Don't make me jealous," she whines. "Put him on." Jade hears a shuffling and Beck talking to their younger son before she finally hears his voice.

"Mama?"

"Hi, bear! I miss you."

"Where are you, Mama?"

"Mama has to work, but I can't wait to see you in a couple of days. Are you having fun with Daddy at work?"

"Uh-huh. I play with my truts!"

His little voice and the cute way he talks makes Jade laugh and makes her heart ache at the same time. "I'm so glad, buddy. I love you so much."

"I love you!" He exclaims in his babyish voice.

"Can I talk to Daddy?"

"Otay, you tot to Daddy."

"Thank you, bear," Jade laughs. Her fiancé is on the line again in a few seconds, and they talk until he hears his boss coming from down the hallway and tells her he has to hang up.

Jade gets settled into her hotel room in no time, and walks over to her windows to see that she has a gorgeous view of Denver's snow capped mountains. She knows she has to be in the lobby in half an hour for the opening meeting, so she takes the time to work on her latest artwork. When she does finally go down to meet up with the other photographers, she finds herself in a packed elevator.

Normally, such a crowded small space would irritate Jade—but it doesn't hurt that she's the only female in an elevator of a hot, toned, team of skiers on their way down to the hot tub. She feels at least eight pairs of eyes on her from where she stands at the front, and the thought of what Beck's reaction to this would be almost makes her laugh out loud.

"Are you here for the competition?" One of the guys asks, causing Jade to turn her head to see him. He's about a head and a half taller than her, all muscle, and has a head of completely luscious blonde curls.

God, is she a sucker for good hair.

She's quick to regain her cool. "I'm doing photography. Somebody has to be there to get footage of you guys falling on your asses."

A few of the other guys snicker, and the blonde grins at her. She's instantly glad he can take a joke and isn't a self-important athlete. "Alright, alright," he says, just as the elevator lands on the floor with the pool. "I guess I'll be seeing you on the slopes with that fancy camera of yours."

"I guess you will."

Once all of the skiers have exited the elevator, he turns back around to smile at Jade. "Oh, and, I'm Joshua."

She shakes his hand harmlessly. "Jade."

"See ya around." The elevator doors close and Jade is alone until she reaches the lobby. As soon as she's in the main area, she sees Kyle, the guy who had hired her.

"Hey, Jade! Let me introduce you to the other photographers here for the weekend. This is Tucker, Noah, and Vanessa." She meets each of them, and discovers that Noah and Vanessa are married and own a photography business together in Aspen. It was Kyle's idea to put them into teams of two-so Vanessa and Noah will cover the snowboarding photography, while Jade and Tucker will take care of the skiers.

"We're all on the fourteenth floor together," Kyle informs them. "I'm in 1403, Vanessa and Noah in 1404, Jade in 1405, and Tucker in 1406. We'll have a couple of meetings throughout the weekend, and I'll shoot you guys a text a few hours I'm advance, but mostly you're on your own. Meet some of the athletes, enjoy the snow, and get some kick-ass photography. Sound good?"

The group agrees, and they decide to go to lunch together to get to know each other a bit more. To her surprise, Jade actually enjoys Tucker's company. He doesn't try to flirt with her or check her out like most guys; he's funny and casual, and Jade can tell from a few iPhone pictures he shows her that he's an incredible photographer. What she likes most of all is, when she talks about Beck, Finn, and Ezra, Tucker seems genuinely interested. Oh, and it doesn't hurt that his Australian accent makes it fun just to hear him talk.

On Friday, the photographers spend the entire day out on the mountain. Meanwhile, Beck (although excited for Jade to have this opportunity) is ready for his fiancé to come back home. He's doing okay without her, but he hasn't slept very much at all and he hadn't realized how inseparable they had become. Finn has been asking almost constantly how much longer it will be before his mom comes home. Ezra has thrown two temper tantrums already and, while Beck could settle him within five minutes, Jade is typically able to do it within a few seconds using a hug and some whispering in his ear.

Friday night, they Skype for the third time since she's been gone. As soon as the connection clicks, Jade sees all three of her boys' smiling faces. "Mama!" Finn and Ezra sound simultaneously, bringing a grin to Jade's face.

"Hi! How are my favorite boys in the world?"

"Mama, I got a 100 on my spelling quiz today!"

Jade gasps for dramatic effect. "You did?! I'm so proud of you!"

"I get 100!" Ezra tells her excitedly, causing all three of them to laugh. Lately, his favorite thing to do is copy Finn, which provides plenty of entertainment.

"You got a 100, too?" Jade asks, and the two-year-old nods his head proudly.

Finn proceeds to tell her how his day went, with Ezra interjecting every few sentences. Jade tells the boys about the skiers and how good they are, and patiently answers each of their questions about what she's doing and when she's coming back. They end the call after half an hour, and, after, Jade almost immediately gets a phone call from Beck. She fully expects to hear Ezra screaming and wanting to hear her voice again, so she's surprised to hear Finn's voice on the line.

"I wanted to talk to you by myself," he says, and Jade can tell he's on the verge of tears.

"I'm glad you called. I'm right here, buddy."

Finn's voice is broken when he speaks again. "I miss you a lot, Mama."

It takes everything Jade has not to cry, but she knows she has to keep her tone uplifting for the six-year-old. "I miss you, too. More than you know."

"When you get back, can we go to the farmer's market?"

This makes her laugh. "Of course we can, squirm. I can't wait to see you, and I'm bringing you back a surprise."

"You are?"

"I am. I think you're going to love it."

Finn doesn't reply for a few seconds, and when he speaks again, his voice is quiet. "Mama?"

"Hmm?"

"You promise you'll come back, right?"

That breaks Jade, and her eyes re-fill up with tears as she swallows them back. "My love," she says softly, "there is nowhere else in the whole world I would rather be than with you, Daddy, and Ezra. I promise I'm coming back. Just one more day, okay?"

Finn sniffles and nods his head. "Okay."

"I love you, Finn Taylor. You know that?"

"Uh-huh."

"Good." Jade wipes a tear from her face and changes the subject. "What story are you going to read tonight?"

"Where the Wild Things Are."

"Oh, I'm so jealous! I wish I was there."

"Don't worry, Mama," he giggles, warming Jade's heart. "We'll read it again."

"We'd better."

"I love you."

"I love you more. Goodnight, baby."

"Goodnight."

Finn walks into his bedroom, where Beck is waiting for him after having put Ezra to sleep. "Hey, bud. How was your talk with Mama?"

"It was good," he answers, handing Beck his iPhone. He crawls onto the bed next to his dad and curls up next to him.

"You okay?" Beck rubs Finn's back and hugs him closer. When he doesn't reply for a few seconds, Beck hears him sniffle. "Finn?" The next thing he knows, Finn turns to hug him and he's crying audibly into Beck's chest.

"I just miss her."

"Aw, buddy." Beck holds onto his son tightly and kisses his head. "I miss her too." He rubs the six-year-old's back soothingly. "Shhh, it's okay." After a minute, Finn has calmed down a bit in Beck's arms. "Are you, maybe, a little bit scared that she won't come back?"

Finn sniffles again. "Uh-huh," he murmurs into Beck's shirt.

"Yeah," Beck says, "I thought that might be it." He sighs. "Look at me." Finn sits up so that he's straddling his dad's lap, and Beck holds onto his hands. "You know your Mama. You know how much she loves you, right?"

Finn nods.

"I know this is the first time she's ever left, so it's a little bit hard—and that's okay. It's hard for me, too. But I promise you, she's going to come home."

"Can we call her again tomorrow morning?"

Beck smiles and kisses Finn's forehead. "Absolutely."

Twenty minutes later, after they read a book and sing a few songs, Finn is fast asleep in his bed. Beck returns to the living room and Skypes Jade again like they'd planned. "Finn is missing you like crazy," is the first thing he says.

"His phone call killed me," Jade replies. "The kid's got a strong charm game. We've got a little heartbreaker on our hands, babe."

Beck grins. "I think he misses you as much as I do. How's Denver?"

"Today was so much fun. The skiers are incredible; it's so cool to watch. I wish you were here to see it."

"There aren't any hot shot athletes trying to steal you away from me, right?"

"Only a few," she teases him.

"Or any of the other photographers?"

"I do have a partner," she informs him. "His name is Tucker. He's Australian, and he's an awesome photographer."

"Tucker, huh?"

"Don't give me that look. He hasn't hit on me. Not once."

"That's what you think," Beck says. "He's just being extra nice and respectful so that you fall for him. He's playing it cool at first, but just wait; next thing you know, he'll show up at your door in the middle of the night."

Jade rolls her eyes. "You're forgetting something."

"I'm telling you, babe. I know these kinds of guys. He's just—"

"Beck. Shut up. The thing you're forgetting is that I happen to be engaged." She holds up her left hand. "Remember this ring that you put here? It does plenty to remind guys that I am taken."

Beck grimaces. "I still wish I was there to fend him off."

"It's not like that at all with Tucker, because—"

"Say what you want, but when he hits on you, don't say I didn't warn you." Beck's words are punctuated by a knock on Jade's door. His eyebrows shoot up. "That had better not be him."

Jade rolls her eyes and gets up from where she's sitting to see who her visitor is. She looks through the peephole to see Tucker, and promptly opens the door. "Hi," he says with a smile on his face. "Are you busy? I was thinking maybe we could look over some of the photos from today, to see what we got and what we still need."

He's holding a pile of things and she _is_ eager to see his shots from the day, so she lets him inside. Besides, this it's a perfect opportunity to prove to Beck that Tucker has no interest in her whatsoever.

"Who is it?" Beck asks, his voice sounding much more civil than before since he knows they're not alone.

"It's Tucker; he wants to look through our pictures from the day. Tuck, come here," Jade says, motioning him over. "This is my fiancé, Beck. Beck, Tucker."

"Nice to meet you," Tucker says cheerily. "Jade's told me all about you, and I've seen pictures of the kids. They're adorable!"

"Thank you," Beck says, trying to hide his curious suspicions about the other man. "Do you have kids yourself?"

"I don't, but I'd like them someday. My boyfriend and I are both working constantly, so it would be a little hard right now. But definitely someday."

Jade grins as she watches the wheels in Beck's brain spin quickly. His realization that there is a much more valid reason for Jade's belief that Tucker really isn't interested in a romance with her sinks in, and Jade enjoys every second of it. Suddenly, Beck seems more relaxed and interested in what the two are working on rather than trying to analyze each of their interactions. The three talk for a little while, and end the call after twenty minutes.

As soon as Jade has closed out of Skype, she opens her messages on her phone to send her fiancé a teasing text. Before she can send it, though, he sends one first. "_I'm sorry_," it reads, and Jade smirks. "_I overreacted_," the next one says.

"_It's okay_," she sends back. "_I like my man possessive_."

"_Oh, do you?_"

"_I do. It's sexy. And I always love to be right, you know_."

"_You were right_," his next text reads. "_Tucker seems really cool. Have fun looking through pictures. Text me after?_"

"_Maybe_," she sends back, adding a winky face.

On Saturday morning, Jade has just arrived at the slopes when she hears someone calling her name. She turns around to see Joshua, the skier from the elevator.

"Aha, the famous photographer Jade."

Jade furrows her eyebrows, but her words aren't sharp. "What does that mean?"

Joshua grins. "It means practically every guy here is talking about you. They've all seen you out here for the last couple of days, and rumor has it that the hot photographer is freakishly talented."

"Oh, they're right," Jade replies confidently. Joshua doesn't say anything, but Jade watches as he not-so-subtly stares at her. "Need something?"

He laughs. "I'm just not sure how you manage to look so good in a ski jacket. The things aren't the most flattering, but _damn_."

"I'm glad you think so. My six-year-old picked it out."

"Your—you have a kid? Aren't you, like, twenty-two?"

"Twenty-four. And you must not pay very close attention to detail," she says as she holds up her left hand.

As soon as Joshua sees the ring on her finger, his head drops back. "Ah, shit," is all he says, but then soon he's grinning again and Jade is confused.

"What?"

He laughs and shakes his head. "I'm just thinking about how much fun I'll have today seeing the looks on people's faces when I tell them you're taken." Jade smirks. "I take it the whole fiancé thing means I won't be seeing you in the hot tub later tonight?"

"Nope. I've got a Skype date with my boys."

"Is it weird that you're even hotter now that I know you're a mom?"

Jade laughs. "No, I don't think so."

"I'll see ya around, Jade," Joshua says, and she waves him off before mapping out where she's going to take pictures today.

By late Saturday afternoon, Jade has filled her quota for amount and quality of pictures she needs to take. After a brief meeting with Kyle, he decides it wouldn't be an issue if she were to return home early. He tells her she'll miss the closing ceremony and after party on Sunday evening, but she assures him she doesn't care. There are much more important things on her mind, not to mention the aching in her heart and in her arms to hold her boys again.

By the time Jade arrives back home to surprise them, it's nearly nine o'clock and the house is quiet. When she walks over to the kitchen table, she sees half-finished "Welcome Home Mama" signs that they must have intended to be ready for her tomorrow, and her heart swells.

She's missed her home.

* * *

**Title is a song by Frank Sinatra.**

**Thoughts?**


	10. Chapter X

.

_Chapter X_

_The Tender Trap_

_._

Jade makes her way into the bedroom, but Beck isn't in their bed. She sets her bag on the ground and heads into Finn's room, where she finds her boys. Beck had obviously fallen asleep next to their son, because the lamp on Finn's nightstand is still turned on. She decides to find Ezra, then, and goes into the toddler's room to see him fast asleep.

Jade wants nothing more than to hold him and hug him, but she doesn't want to wake him from his sleep, so she settles for rubbing his back and leaning over to kiss him in his crib. When she returns to Finn's room, she walks over to her fiancé and sits on the side of the bed that he's on. She moves some of the hair out of his forehead so the space is clear for her to kiss, causing him to wake up.

She watches as the waves of confusion hit him, each for a few milliseconds. He realizes that he must have fallen asleep after singing to Finn, and then, more obviously, that Jade is sitting in front of him. "Am I still asleep?" He asks groggily, and she laughs quietly.

"I missed my boys," she whispers, keeping her palm on his cheek.

Beck uses his other arm to pull her in closer so that he can kiss her lips, and everything that both of them had missed so much in the last three days is now just a memory. When they pull back, Jade looks over at Finn. "How is he?" She runs her hand gently through the six-year-old's hair, and Beck is about to answer her when Finn starts to stir. "Shhh, go back to sleep," Jade says softly, and bends down to kiss him. Finn closes his eyes again, but he rolls over so that he's curled up next to her.

"Back to the bedroom?" Beck suggests, grinning. When his fiancé nods, he stands up from the bed to let her off too. As soon as Jade moves, though, a whimper comes from Finn's mouth.

He tosses again. "Mama," he whines, still mostly asleep. Jade sits back to be with him, just to see his reaction, and he cuddles up to her again. She looks up at Beck, who smiles at her sympathetically.

"Bring him to our room," he sighs, knowing that it's what his fiancé wants. Jade smiles back and lifts Finn into her arms to carry him into the master bedroom. She hands him to Beck, who gets the little boy situated while Jade puts on her pajamas, and then joins them in bed.

They've only been asleep for a few hours when Finn begins to stir in his sleep. He's whimpering again, and starts mumbling what sounds like "Mama" and "I want Mama" over and over again. His parents are awake within minutes, and Jade looks up at her fiancé with furrowed eyebrows for an explanation.

"He's been doing this since Thursday night," Beck tells Jade, to her horror. "He sleeps in my bed or I sleep in his so that I can calm him down."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to worry. He just missed you, that's all. It's okay, babe."

Jade ignores him and looks down at Finn, who is still tossing and turning. "Mama," he cries.

"Shh, shh. I'm right here." She pulls him into her arms and kisses his head. "It's okay. Mama's right here." Finn's breathing slows as he settles down and falls back asleep. Jade looks back up at Beck. "You should have told me."

"I'm sorry. I really am. I didn't think you'd be this upset about it."

"Of course I'm upset, Beck. He wasn't ready to be away from me yet. He's been terrified of me not coming back, and the fact that he's crying in his sleep about it makes me feel horrible."

"I'm sorry. You're right; I should have told you. I just wanted you to get the chance to take the job in Denver; it was such a great opportunity, and I didn't want you to have to come home early."

"I know. But I would have come back in a heartbeat if I'd known it would help him sleep better."

He nods in understanding and apologizes again before dropping a kiss to her forehead. They doze off to sleep, Finn still in Jade's arms. It isn't until eight in the morning that the six-year-old wakes up again. When he opens his eyes, he realizes who he's snuggling with. "Mama!" He says suddenly. "Mama, wake up!"

Jade is already starting to blink tiredly, and her yawn turns into a laugh when she sees the excited look on his face. "Hi, baby."

"You're home!" He nearly yells, which wakes Beck up. Finn hugs her and rests his head on her chest, so she wraps her arms around him. "I thought you wouldn't be home until today," he says into her shirt.

"I had to come back early; I missed you too much."

"I missed you too, Mama."

Minutes later, Ezra's baby voice comes through the monitor and Beck and Jade both smile. "I know someone else who missed you, too," Beck says, sliding out of bed. He returns quickly with Ezra, who nearly jumps out of his dad's arms at the sight of Jade.

"Mama!" He screams, and Beck releases him onto the bed.

"Hi, bear!" Jade pulls him into her arms so that she's holding both boys at the same time. Ezra starts talking excitedly to her in that sweet voice she'd missed so much, and even though they can only usually understand about half of what he's saying, it's still just as adorable.

"Dad!" Finn says, leaning over to whisper in Beck's ear. "We have to set up Mama's stuff. The posters, remember?"

Beck nods knowingly and turns to let Finn hop on his back for a ride to the kitchen. "We've got a little bit of work to do," he tells his fiancé with a wink. Jade doesn't mention that she'd seen the artwork last night, and simply smiles.

"You stay here, Mama!"

"Ez," Beck says, "you wanna come with Finn and Daddy?

"No!"

"I vote no for him, too," Jade jokes, snuggling the baby closer to her.

"My son, the serial Mama's Boy," Beck laughs. He takes Finn into the kitchen, where they work together to finish the welcome home sign and put up the streamers they'd set out. Finn completes his drawing and Beck makes some coffee, and they return to the bedroom after fifteen minutes.

"Mama dink toffee!" Ezra points out as Beck hands her the mug. "I see! I see!"

"Careful, bear." Jade holds the mug sturdily in one hand while Ezra tries to see what's inside. "Look, yummy coffee."

"Yummy toffee!" He mimics.

"Mama, do you want to come see the kitchen?" Finn asks as she takes a sip.

"Of course I do." She grins and gets up from the bed, still holding Ezra and the coffee mug. She follows Finn and Beck into the kitchen and immediately sees the work they'd done.

"Do you like it?" Finn's green eyes open wide as he looks up at her.

"Like it? It's the best thing I've ever seen," she promises him. She sets her coffee on the counter and bends down to be at Finn's level. "Thank you so much, buddy. It's beautiful." Finn grins and hugs her, and then reaches back to the table to show her something else.

"I made this at school. Daddy wanted to hang it on the fridge, but I wanted to give it to you first." He hands the piece of construction paper to Jade, whose eyes glaze over as she blinks back tears.

There's hardly any white left on the paper, because Finn had colored so much on it. The sky is filled in blue, and a yellow sun shines from the corner of the picture. All the way to the left, he had drawn their house, and Beck's red truck right next to it. Then, four stick figures stand in a green grass covered in multicolor flowers. Beck is the tallest, and then Jade, and then Finn and Ezra are drawn much smaller. All four of them are holding hands (their stick arms are connected) and they all have smiles on their faces.

"Finn tuh-ler that!" Ezra exclaims as he points at the picture.

"That's right, he did color this," Jade tells him, and then looks down at the six-year-old. "Finn, this is the prettiest picture anyone has ever made for me. I love it." She kisses his cheek and Finn beams. "Can we put it on the fridge?"

He nods, so Jade hands the picture to Beck, who hangs it onto the refrigerator door with a magnet. "Alright," he says, "who wants pancakes?"

"Me!" Finn shouts, and Ezra copies him soon after. Jade sets the two-year-old down so he can play with Finn while she helps make breakfast.

Beck, meanwhile, is having a hard time resisting pinning his fiancé up against the counter for some morning fun. When she passes him from behind, he catches her arm and pulls her in to face him. "I missed you," he whispers, and, after making sure the boys aren't looking, kisses her for a little longer than usual.

Jade loves the lip action, but she doesn't realize how horny Beck actually is until, five minutes and several more kisses later, he sneaks an ass grab.

"Don't touch Mommy," she teases, swatting his hand away, and he grins.

Almost right after she speaks, she sees that their toddler has wandered behind the counter and is approaching Jade with little outstretched arms. "Mama, I wanna hug," he says, melting Jade's heart.

"You want a hug?" She asks him, and lifts him into her arms so that she can kiss all over his face. He giggles loudly and she hugs him close to her chest, and Beck finds himself wondering if he's actually jealous of a two-year-old. (A two-year-old, at that, who has about as much power over Jade as Beck himself does.)

"Give Mama a kiss," Jade says, and Ezra pecks her lips happily.

"Hey," Beck interjects after flipping another pancake, "doesn't Daddy get kisses too?" He puckers his lips towards his fiancé and son, and Ezra grins.

"No!" He giggles, pushing Beck's lips away with his little hand. "Only me!" He buries his head in Jade's neck and Beck presses a kiss to her temple.

"Okay!" Finn's announcement makes both of his parents look up. "I set the table! Are the pancakes ready?"

"Just about," Beck answers him, and flips the last round onto the plate that already has a stack. He carries the pancakes to the table and Jade brings the bowl of chopped fruit, and breakfast begins.

The following morning, when Finn has been dropped off at school and Jade is on her way to a photo shoot with Ezra, she gets a phone call from someone she hadn't heard from in several weeks.

"Jade, I'm so glad you answered."

She rolls her eyes. "Okay. Do you need something?"

"I just want to chat with my daughter."

Jade scoffs. "Good one."

"Why must you be so difficult, Jade?"

"Dad, when was the last time you called me just to chat? I don't think that has ever actually happened. Just tell me what you're calling for; I'm on my way to work and I don't have much time."

"Well, alright, if you insist. Margot and I want you to come to California before the wedding. Preferably, for Thanksgiving next week."

"What? Dad, the wedding is in a month, and—"

"I'm aware. I can book your flight to Los Angeles as soon as you say yes, and you'll be up here next week." When she doesn't reply, Collin continues. "Veronica has already agreed she's coming; it'll be a family affair."

"A family affair? So, I'm assuming you would also be getting Beck a ticket, and the boys?"

"Well, I'd prefer if you came alone—"

"Not happening. I come with my family or I don't come at all."

Collin sighs. "That's fine. I'll book four flights for next Monday, and the return flights on Friday."

"Five days? Dad, don't you think that's a little excessive?"

"Is five days really too much to spend with your me, Margot, and your sister?" Jade wants to tell him that yes, actually, it is too much—but she refrains. "Come on, Jade. Escape the snow of Colorado for a week and come to sunny California. I assure you, you will not regret it."

Despite her hesitation, she knows that Beck would want to go and that the boys would probably love the beautiful west coast weather. "Fine," she says. "Book the flights."

"Splendid. I'll email you with the confirmation."

She hangs up then, and groans in frustration. "Hey, Ez? How would you feel about randomly coming down with the flu next week, huh?"

Ezra babbles some gibberish back and Jade smiles at him. Later that day, they meet up with Tori and Andre at Eric's, a fun restaurant with an arcade. Beck picks up Finn from school because he has a half-day, and they meet the group for lunch.

Tori, who's now a month into her second trimester, has started to just barely show signs of a bump. The second she sits down at the table, she places an order of onion rings with their waiter. "It's all I've wanted since I woke up this morning," she tells Jade. "I don't even like onion rings!"

Jade laughs and gets Ezra situated in his high chair. "But Baby Harris does."

"Mama, I don't sit here!" Ezra whines as he twists his body to try to get out. "I dit out!"

"Okay, okay." Jade pacifies the fussy toddler by pulling him into her lap. She looks up at Tori and Andre. "I swear, the terrible two's are so real."

"Aw," Andre says, "but how can you ever say no to that face?"

"It's so hard. Especially when he's screaming." Ezra is fully content in Jade's lap, so she holds him for the time being. Beck and Finn arrive at the restaurant and the first grader heads straight for his mother.

"Hi Mama!"

"Hey, squirm," she says, pulling him into a hug. "How was school?"

"We didn't get to go to music class today because it was a half day, so it was kinda boring."

"Bummer. Well, we can practice piano today for as long as you want," Jade reminds him.

"Sweet!" He moves around the table to hug Tori and Andre before sitting at the end of the table. Beck, meanwhile, takes a seat next to his fiancé and across from Andre. He kisses Jade and tickles Ezra, who fusses and turns away.

"Bad day?" He asks Jade, in reference to the two-year-old.

"He won't even _look_ at his high chair."

Beck chuckles and shakes his head. "Of course. Well," he says, turning to the couple on the other side of the table, "have you guys started doing anything for the baby yet?"

"We ordered the crib!" Tori answers excitedly.

"And speaking of that," Andre adds, "Beck, we might need your help putting it together."

"What do you mean? Isn't it just a standard crib?"

"Not exactly," he says, and Tori smiles apologetically. "My lovely wife here wanted an Italian crib. This kid's bed is going to be more expensive than ours." Tori grins and elbows him. "We won't be able to read the instructions, and you design stuff to build for a living—so we'll probably need some help."

"No problem," Beck laughs. "I'd be happy to."

"Aunt Tori?" Finn looks over at his aunt.

"Yeah, buddy?"

"Are you gonna have a baby boy or a baby girl?"

"It's going to be a surprise!"

"A surprise?"

"Uh-huh. Uncle Andre and I decided that we don't want to know if the baby is a boy or a girl until he or she is born! Isn't that fun?"

"Yeah, I guess so. So how long do we have to wait?"

Tori laughs. "About five months. It'll go by super fast, I promise."

"Dad, did you know that I was gonna be a boy?"

"Yup. I knew about both you and Ezra."

"What if you have another baby? Then will you find out again?"

"Most likely, yeah. I don't think Mama is patient enough to wait nine whole months," he teases.

"True," Jade admits.

"Good!" Finn exclaims. "I wouldn't want to wait to find out!"

Once their orders are placed, Finn decides he wants to go play in the arcade, so Beck and Andre say they'll take him. "Ezra," Jade says, "do you want to go play games with Daddy and Finn?"

"No!" He pouts, and lays his head back on her chest.

"Are you sure, buddy?" Beck ruffles the toddler's hair. "They have all the games you like, like the ones with the race cars."

This gets his attention, and he sits up as a grin replaces the frown on his face. "Race tars!" He repeats excitedly. "Mama, I do race tars!"

"Okay! Go with Daddy and Uncle Andre and Finn and you can play on them!" She hands Ezra to Beck, who kisses Jade's lips and takes his sons to the arcade area. "So," she says once she and Tori are the only ones left at the table, "how are things besides the intense cravings?"

"They're good! I'm so glad to be done with the first trimester, you know? The nausea has gone down so much, and I don't think I could have spent another morning vomiting."

Jade grimaces. "Yeah. Sounds like a blast."

"It's mostly good," Tori laughs. "What about you? You and Beck seem to be doing great."

"Everything is good, yeah. He's keeping something from me right now, but I'll figure it out eventually."

"What do you mean?"

"I can just tell he's hiding something. Nothing super serious, but the past few times that I've brought him lunch at work, he looks like he's making up something to tell me about what he's been doing all day. He's a terrible liar; it's actually funny."

"Does he know that you know?"

"Probably not. I haven't told him."

"You two are so weird."

Jade smirks. "But does it matter how weird we are if the sex is this good?"

"I figured it would be. Not in a creepy way, but you know what I mean. Beck is so... And you're so..."

Jade interrupts her before she can say anything else. "Got it. So, new subject: my dad called me earlier."

Tori's eyebrows shoot up. "What did he want?"

"To spend Thanksgiving with me."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. He said that he and Margot want to see me before the wedding, and they invited Veronica up, so it'll be a _family affair_. His words exactly."

"What about Beck and the boys? They'll come too, right?"

"He said he'd prefer if it was just me, which speaks even more to the fact that he doesn't know me at all. I told him I come with my family or I don't come at all, and he seemed okay with it."

Their onion rings arrive at the table, and Tori's look of utter excitement makes Jade laugh. "Pregnancy hormones are a powerful thing, huh?"

Tori has already started eating her first one. "You could put an obstacle course between me and these onion rings and I would still get to them. Anyways, back to your dad. It does seem pretty fishy—but what's the worst that can happen? If you're miserable, you can always just fly home early, right?"

"Not exactly," Jade mutters. "My dad is paying for our flights—there and back. If Beck and I wanted to come home early, we wouldn't just drop two thousand dollars on four last-minute plane tickets back to Colorado. We'll have to stay for at least five days."

"Well, that sucks. But look at it this way: Beck will probably be really excited to go. You know he's always wanted to. And besides, I love Breckenridge, but getting out of this snow would be awesome."

True to Tori's word (and what Jade has known for a while), Beck is happy about spending Thanksgiving with Collin and Margot West. He speaks with his parents, who completely understand, and he and Jade tell the boys that they're taking a trip to California. A week later, they're boarding a plane to Los Angeles and Jade is a bundle of nerves. They get their seats, which Collin had booked in first class, and Beck and Jade take the aisle seats to be closer to each other.

Finn takes the window seat next to his dad, while Jade puts Ezra in the other seat in her row. "Babe," Beck says, getting his fiancé's attention. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She shakes her head and hands Ezra his sippy cup of apple juice.

"Jade," he says, this time making his voice sound more inquisitive.

She sighs. "When I was on the phone with him, he sounded different."

"Different how?"

"He sounded like... Like he really wanted to see me. He really tried to convince me to come, and he's never done that before."

Beck smiles and reaches across the aisle to hold her hand. "He's your dad, babe. Of course he wants to see you. He just wants to spend time with his daughter."

As hard as it is for Jade to believe, she lets herself have hope that he's right. It may have taken Collin over two decades to realize it, but maybe he's finally decided to be a decent father.

The flight is quick. Ezra sits in Jade's lap, and they both sleep the entire time. Beck and Finn use the iPad to play Scrabble, which Jade had gotten both of them addicted to. By the time they land in sunny California, Jade is feeling better about things and the boys are ecstatic.

Not surprisingly, Collin West had sent a limo to pick them up at the airport. Beck had gotten a suite at the Roosevelt Hotel, figuring they could splurge on their stay since they weren't paying for the plane tickets. They get settled in the room—which is comprised of two bedrooms, a living area, and a kitchenette—and then begin getting ready for dinner at Jade's father's house.

While in the master bedroom, Jade finds herself staring out the window and into the vast of Hollywood. She feels Beck come up behind her, and he wraps his arms around her before dropping a kiss to the back of her neck. "So," he says, resting his head on her shoulder, "this is where you grew up."

She nods. "Right in this area, too. West Hollywood. I always pictured myself moving back here after college but, now that I have the boys, I don't know how anyone could feel good about raising a family here. I mean, god, look what it did to me."

"Hey," Beck chides her with just a word. He turns her so that she's facing him. "You turned out perfect. Look at you: back in LA after six years, with a fiancé and two sons." Jade leans in for a kiss and places both of her hands on his cheeks. "I love you. This week is not going to be as bad as you think."

She kisses him again. "I love you, too."

The second Beck pulls their rental car up to the West home in the Hollywood Hills, the reality of what Jade had been telling him for the past week sinks in: she comes from a _lot_ of money.

And even that's an understatement.

The house is more appropriately called a mansion, as it takes up so much room on the lot that Beck can't even say for sure where it begins and ends. "This is where you grew up?" He asks his fiancé, his tone incredulous.

She raises her eyebrows. "Told you."

"Mama, whose house is this?"

"It's my dad's house. You're going to meet him in just a few minutes. And, remember my step-mom, Margot, that I told you about?"

"Yeah."

"She lives here, too. She can't wait to meet you and Ezra." Jade leaves the snarky sarcasm out of her voice, because she doesn't want Finn to have any fears or worries whatsoever.

They get out of the car and Jade carries Ezra up the stairs and to the front door with Beck and Finn. Collin and Margot both answer it within seconds, and Jade's step-mother already has that Botox smile on her face. "Hi!" Margot shrieks, and Finn flinches. "Jade, you look beautiful! Beck, it's good to see you!"

"Thank you, Mrs. West," he replies kindly.

"Oh, please, call me Margot! I'm barely thirty," she explains as they walk inside, and Jade rolls her eyes.

Collin looks between his daughter and her fiancé. "I take it these are the boys?"

Jade fights a "no shit," and instead rests her hand on her six-year-old's back. "This is Finn," she informs them, and then looks down at the toddler in her arms. "And this is Ezra."

"Hi, Finn," Margot says, and her voice is obnoxiously high. "It's so nice to meet you!"

"Hi," he says shyly.

Collin eyes the first grader. "Good to have you here, young man. I hope you like steak; Maria is making an excellent dinner for us."

Finn is torn between answering that he does indeed like steak and asking who Maria is, so he just nods his head. He holds Beck's hand as they walk into the dining room, and he looks around and marvels at everything in the enormous house. When they arrive to the table decorated beautifully by the maid, Maria, they see Veronica.

"Jade," the blonde says, and her sister can tell she's already had a few glasses of wine. "I'm so glad you're here! I feel like I never see you now that I'm back in LA."

"Mhmm. It's a real shame."

Veronica doesn't pick up on her sister's sarcasm. "Oh, and you brought Beck! Daddy told me he had kids. They're cute!"

Beck shakes her hand politely and thanks the gods that she doesn't mention their awkward date from over a year ago. "Von," Jade says, "this is Finn and Ezra. Finn, this is my sister Veronica."

"Hi." He smiles at the woman, and Jade hugs the first grader close to her body to make him feel safer.

As they all begin to sit down, Collin takes his seat at the head of the table. Margot sits to one side of him, with Veronica next to her, and Beck sits on the other side. Jade—with Ezra in her lap—takes her seat next to Beck, and Finn gets the end of the table.

Beck moves his foot just slightly to his right to nudge Jade's and remind her that everything will be okay. Meanwhile, Maria is pouring each adult at the table a glass of red wine. "So," Collin says, "I hear the weather in Colorado this time of year is just brutal."

"It's not terrible," Beck assures him. "It is definitely cold, but there are perks; it's absolutely beautiful everywhere you look."

Collin nods. "How is your company doing?"

"Very well, thank you. I've recently been finishing the designs for a large ski resort in Aspen."

"Oh," Margot cries, "I've always wanted Collin to take me to Aspen!"

"I went there with a few girlfriends last month," Veronica adds. "It's fabulous."

Beck smiles at the women, and while he and Collin continue talking business, Jade notices that Finn is having a hard time drinking out of the large, heavy glass that holds his water. She's just about to ask Maria to bring him a plastic cup when Finn knocks the glass over and soaks his side of the table.

He panics, because he knows it's okay to spill at home but he isn't at his home, but Jade calms him quickly. She hands Ezra to Beck, and smiles softly at Finn. "It's okay, baby. It's fine," she promises him. "Are you wet at all?"

"Just a little bit on my pants and shoes," he answers, as Maria begins to replace the plate and silverware with dry ones. "Will it stain?"

"No, buddy, it won't. Don't worry. Everything is okay."

"Sorry," he says quietly, half-to himself and half-to Collin and Margot.

"You don't have to be sorry," Jade tells him before either of the other adults can speak. She leans over to kiss his forehead. "No big deal."

"Mama, you hold me," Ezra says, and reaches over towards Jade. Beck smiles and sets their two-year-old back in her arms. Ezra looks up at her and rubs his eyes. "I go nigh nigh, Mama."

"Yeah, I figured you'd be tired." She drops a kiss to his head. "Lay down on Mama's chest, okay? You can go night night," she whispers to him. Ezra does as she says, and he falls asleep within minutes.

"Wow, Jade." Veronica finishes her fourth glass of wine. "Who knew you had maternal instincts?" Jade ignores her older sister, but Veronica continues talking. "Seriously! I'm impressed. I could never have dealt with that. Kids aren't my thing."

"What a surprise that is."

"You could just say thank you."

Jade sighs. "Thank you, Von," she says, in hopes that her sister will shut the hell up before the wine really starts talking.

Meanwhile, Collin has begun informing Beck about the plans for a major business merge. "It's going to be absolutely huge!" Margot shrieks. "They've been talking about it for weeks; apparently it'll be making them millions."

"It will be quite the ordeal," Collin boasts. "Beck, you're a business man; you know how important something like a merger can be."

"Of course," he agrees. "I hope all goes well."

Throughout the rest of dinner, Collin and Margot speak mostly to the adults. When they attempt conversation with Finn, he either has a difficult time understanding what Collin is asking or he's overwhelmed by Margot's enthusiasm. It annoys Jade to no end, but Beck is more understanding of the fact that people without young children don't always know how to talk to them. And besides, from what Jade has told him, Collin always spoke to his daughter as if she was a thirty-year-old even when she was Finn's age.

As they're leaving, while Beck is carrying the sleepy boys to the rental car, Collin stops Jade on her way out the door. "Jade," he says, catching her arm. "A word?"

She turns around and folds her arms over her chest. "Hmm?"

"Have lunch with me tomorrow. We'll go to your favorite cafe, just the two of us."

"Dad, I don't think—"

"I've got something I want to discuss with you. Just accept the invitation; it won't kill you to be away from them for a couple of hours."

Jade rolls her eyes. "Fine. What time?"

"Is noon alright?"

"Sure. I'll see you there."

"Wonderful."

As Collin closes the door behind her and she makes her way down the steps of the house, Jade can't help but wonder what has gotten into her father. Why is he suddenly making such an effort? Is it out of genuine desire to spend time with him or is he working an agenda?

That night, Beck tells her how great he thinks it is that she's spending time with her dad. They're curled up in bed together and she's laying on his chest. "Trust me, Jade. All fathers want to see their kids happy. And, while some aren't as good at showing it, they really want to hang out with their kids and see how they're doing. Your dad is no different."

"He's never made an effort with me. I just don't know why he's picking _now_ to do it."

"Jade?"

"Hmm?"

"When's the best time to build an apple tree?"

She lifts her head up to look at him like he's lost his mind. "What?"

"The answer is ten years ago. If you'd have built an apple tree ten years ago, you'd have a tree full of delicious apples by now. But, since you didn't do that, when's the next best time to build an apple tree?" She raises her eyebrows to show him she doesn't plan on playing into whatever weird metaphor he's trying to explain. "Now is the next best time. Right now."

"Did you just compare my relationship with my dad to a tree?"

"Did it make sense?"

Jade laughs and rests her head on his chest again. "I think so."

They fall asleep soon after, and the next day, Beck makes plans to take the boys to a nearby park while Jade meets Collin for lunch. She's just walked into her favorite restaurant when she spots her father, and promptly takes her seat across from him. They've barely been talking for five minutes when he tells her he wants to discuss the merger with her.

She resists the urge to tell him she couldn't give less of a shit about his business, and goes along anyways. "What about it?"

"I'm going to need your help with something. I don't think you'll mind it too much."

Jade furrows her eyebrows. "Me?"

"Yes, you." He pauses. "The company that we're merging with is Daniels and Associates." Jade's face immediately pales. "Richard and I think it would be best if we bonded in a more...personal way—to make the merge more official."

"What are you talking about?"

"Ryder is ready to ask for your hand in marriage," Collin answers. "He is here in Los Angeles, and he's eager to woo you away from the simply _average_ life you're leading in that tiny town in Colorado."

Jade is furious now, and she feels like her head might explode into a million pieces. She's rising from her seat to get up and leave when she bumps into her only ex-boyfriend.

"Hi, Jade." He smiles sweetly at her and her eyes widen.

She turns back to look between Ryder and Collin. "If the two of you think that I'm going to leave Beck for anyone—let alone Ryder—you're even more fucked up than I thought you were."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Jade," Collin says. "You might want to think about what you're giving up. Ryder will be able to give you everything you want and more. He'll provide for anything you need, and he'll inherit the business so that the two of you—and your children together—will always have financial security. Can Beck give you any of that?"

"You don't have to answer that," Ryder tells her. "Jade, I'm still in love with you. I always have been and I always will be. You're not married to him yet; you still have a chance for us to be together. Just think about it?"

Jade is glaring at him—her first love, her first everything. She can't believe she was stupid enough to forget that Collin West _always_ has an agenda. She feels numb, and that's when Ryder leans in to kiss her.

* * *

**Title is a song by Frank Sinatra.**

**Thoughts?**


	11. Chapter XI

.

_Chapter XI_

_Your Smiling Face_

.

Jade is glaring at Ryder—her first love, her first everything. She feels numb, and that's when he leans in to kiss her.

She sees him leaning in and mentally prepares herself to slap him, but he only touches her arm gently. She instantly recoils, and Ryder clears his throat before pulling her off to the side and away from Collin.

"Don't touch me," she warns him, and pulls away again to cross her arms.

"Jade, I'm serious. Please just listen to me. I'm in love with you. I should have never let you go. It's my fault, and, if I hadn't been such an ass, we'd probably be married with that baby of our own."

"Shut up," she seethes. "Shut up. Don't you dare bring that up."

"I'm sorry. Look, I just want to be with you. It's a bonus that we'd be helping our dads out with the merger. It would mean a lot to them."

"I don't give a fuck what it would mean to them, Ryder." She's trying to keep her tone hushed, even though they're off in the back area of the restaurant anyways, but it's becoming increasingly hard. "Have you lost your mind? I'm getting married in three weeks, and I have _kids_ now. Do you really expect—"

"You don't have to live like that! Who cares about them, Jade?" Ryder has barely finished saying her name before she slaps him.

"I'm," she starts, but the words die on her tongue when she decides he doesn't deserve any more from her. He tries to apologize again, but Jade is already exiting in a fury. Collin rises from his seat to beckon his daughter back, but she ignores him. Upon leaving the cafe, Jade hops in a cab and immediately calls Beck.

"Hey, babe, aren't you at lunch with your dad?"

"Not anymore. I'm coming to the park; I'll explain when I get there."

"Okay," Beck says, sensing something wrong in her tone. "Jade?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you. Whatever it is, it'll be okay."

"I love you, too," she replies before ending the call. Her cab pulls up to a local park ten minutes later, and Jade pays him and gets out to find her fiancé. Beck's sees her and stands up from the bench he's been sitting on to wave to her. When Jade gets over to where he is, she sits down with him and spots the boys playing on the jungle gym.

"Hi, Mama!" Finn shouts from the slide, and Ezra copies his brother. Jade smiles and waves to them, and she watches them slide down together to try and calm herself down.

"What happened?"

Beck's words shake her from her thoughts. He puts his arm around her and she leans into him easily. "My dad is an asshole. And that's an understatement."

"What did he say?"

"It's not just what he said. It's what he did." Jade lifts her head up from his shoulder to look at him. "He had Ryder there waiting for me." She feels Beck tense up. "He said he wanted to make the merger more 'personal,' and when I asked what the hell he was talking about, Ryder showed up."

Beck is about to ask what her ex-boyfriend was doing there when it hits him. "Your dad wants you to marry Ryder," he says after a minute.

Jade knows how hard he's trying to hide the anger and hurt in his expression, so she tucks a piece of his hair behind his ear and rests her hand on his cheek. "I'm sorry. We should never have come out to California. This place is hell on earth."

"Don't be sorry. I'm sorry that your dad and Ryder ambushed you like that. I know you were looking forward to spending time with your dad."

"I wasn't looking forward—"

"Jade," he interrupts her. "It's okay to be disappointed."

She sighs and rests her head on his shoulder again. "I just want to go home. I want to be home with you and the boys. I want to spend Thanksgiving with your family, and now we'll be stuck in Los Angeles until Friday."

"It's okay. We'll work it out." Beck doesn't say anything else after that, but their conversation makes him wonder if Jade ever thinks about what her life would be like if she were married to someone else. If she were married to a man like Ryder, who could give her everything she ever wanted. He wonders, had she never met him and simply ended up with who her father wanted her to, if she would be happier.

The following day, they don't see Collin and Margot even once. Jade ignores all of her father's and Ryder's calls, and she and Beck spend the day taking the boys all over the city. Jade shows them the performing arts high school she'd attended, as well as a few of her favorite places to eat and, finally, the Santa Monica pier.

Finn and Ezra are completely enthralled by the pier and all of its attractions, like the games, the rides, and the ferris wheel. When Ezra falls asleep in Jade's arms, she hands him to Beck so that she and Finn can ride the ferris wheel for some special time together. They get into the cart, and he decides to sit next to her rather than across from her. As he stares out the side, he rests his body against hers.

"Hey, buddy?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm really glad that I'm your Mama. You make me so happy." She wraps her arm around him and he snuggles up to her.

"I'm glad that you are, too. You're the best one I've ever had." Jade laughs at this, and when Finn smiles up at her, she kisses his forehead. "I think Aunt Tori will be a good mama like you," he says.

"I think she'll be great. Having a baby is hard work, but she and Uncle Andre will be awesome parents."

"Is it fun?"

"What do you mean?"

"When you have a baby? Is it fun?"

Jade's heartbeat escalates. "Well, I've never had one, but I think—even though it's hard—it would also be kind of fun. Would you want me to have a baby?"

"That means I would have a little brother or sister, right?"

Hearing Finn say those words makes Jade think she might pass out. "Yeah, that's what it means."

"Can I tell you a secret?"

Jade ruffles his hair. "You always can."

He smiles coyly. "I've wanted another brother or sister for a long time."

"Oh, a long time, huh?"

"Uh-huh. Like, since I was five!"

Jade laughs and pulls him into her lap to hug him. "That is a pretty long time."

"Maybe you can get one when you and Daddy go to Hawaii for the... What's it called again?"

"The honeymoon. You want me to get a baby in Hawaii?" Jade asks, laughing.

"Yeah. Since you and Dad will be married, you can have a baby, right? That's what Dad said. He said when two people love each other and get married, they can have a baby."

Jade fights another laugh and nods her head. "That's right, he's right. Getting a baby takes a long time, though, remember? You know how Aunt Tori has a baby in her tummy?"

"Yeah."

"Well the baby has been in there for about five months, but it still has four more months to grow before it can be born."

"So, it takes..." Finn's face scrunches up in Jade's favorite of his expressions as he adds four and five together. "Nine months?"

"Exactly. Nice adding," she tells him. "You're so good at math."

"I think I get it from you," he answers nonchalantly, striking Jade's attention.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you're good at math."

"I am."

"And Daddy says that me and Ezra like music because he likes music. He said we get that from him. So if I'm good at math, that means I get it from you, right?"

Jade grins and decides to go along with his theory. "Yeah, I guess so."

By the time they get off the ferris wheel, they're all hungry and ready for dinner. Jade suggests they eat at the Rainforest Cafe, an animated restaurant that simulates something close to an experience at an actual rainforest. Beck wakes Ezra as soon as they walk in, and he rubs his eyes tiredly and sits up in his dad's arms. The second he sees Jade, he reaches for her. "Mama," he whines, and Jade takes him to hold him against her chest.

She rubs his back gently to help him wake up a bit. "Look, buddy." Jade points up at the large bird above the host's desk.

"Hey, Finn," Beck says, "what kind of bird is that?"

"It's a toucan!" He answers excitedly, and jumps up to hit his dad's high five. Beck tells the hostess that they need a table for three plus a high chair, and as they walk to their table, Finn already wants to explore every corner of the place.

After dinner, they finally go back to the Roosevelt Hotel and Beck and Jade tuck the boys in. Later, when Jade is washing her face while her fiancé brushes his teeth, she brings up a topic they've avoided all day. "What are we doing for Thanksgiving tomorrow? I don't want the boys to miss out on celebrating it, but there's no way in hell we're going to my dad's house."

Beck finishes brushing and sets his toothbrush back on the counter. "Actually, I was thinking we should go."

"Ha ha," Jade retorts, and grabs a towel to dry her face.

"No, really."

Jade glares at him, but he doesn't falter. "Beck, we are not going there tomorrow. Or ever again."

"Why not? We're already here. If we don't go, they win. They get to make you feel like crap and get away with it, and that's not okay with me."

Jade sighs and steps towards him. "Honey," she says, placing her hands on his shoulders, "I promise, I don't care about what my dad and Ryder said. I don't place any meaning whatsoever to _anything_ that comes out of either one of their mouths. Going tomorrow would just give them another chance to be jackasses."

"Them?"

"Ryder and his parents will be there. We're not going."

"If we did go, it would be to make a point, Jade." Beck wraps his arms around her and rests them on her lower back. "Your dad shouldn't get to make you feel like the things you want aren't good enough. That's not fair."

"Maybe it isn't fair, but I'm used to it. It's fine—"

"It's not fine," Beck insists. "I would really, really like it if we went tomorrow. You, me, Finn, and Ezra. We don't have to stay for long, but I would least like to show up."

Jade can tell from the tone of his voice that the decision has been made. Beck doesn't get so worked up about things often, so when he does, she knows enough to respect it. If it were any other man, Jade would assume that he was trying to mark his territory on her in front of Ryder. Beck, though, cares far more about her and how she feels than his need to prove himself to Collin West or Ryder.

"We're not staying long," she finally says, and Beck leans in for a kiss.

"We won't. And we'll be back in Colorado by noon on Friday."

"I feel like we're going to regret this." He shakes his head and she furrows her eyebrows. "You're going to kill Ryder. I would not be surprised."

"Why would I kill him?"

"You act like Mr. Self Control now; just wait until he flirts with me right in front of you. He's a pig, Beck. He knows no boundaries. And I will not make a scene, not with the boys there."

"I'm not worried."

She rolls her eyes. "Of course you're not."

Beck grins and, in a successful attempt to distract his fiancé, begins kissing down her jawline and to her neck. "Still worried?" He asks between kisses, and she mumbles a weak "yes" in return. His hands slide lower onto her ass and he begins sucking at _that_ spot on her neck, and she's putty in his arms. He doesn't bother asking if she's still worried by that time, because they're already making their way back into the bedroom and he knows his answer.

In the morning, Finn and Ezra come into the master bedroom earlier than usual. Thanks to the time change, six in the morning feels like seven, so they're up before the sun has even risen yet. Half asleep, Beck pulls out his iPad and puts on their favorite, The Lion King. He scoots over so that the boys can sit in between him and Jade, and reaches his arm up over the pillows to hold her hand.

The movie buys them another hour and a half of rest, and the boys wake their parents again as soon as the credits roll. Before long, they've eaten breakfast and Jade sticks both boys in the bathtub. While she bathes them, Beck gets their Thanksgiving clothes out of their little suitcases and lays them out neatly.

"Mama, look! I'm Santa," Finn giggles, and adds some more bubbles to his pretend beard.

"Santa?" Jade asks playfully. "You're a little early; today is Thanksgiving!"

The first grader bursts into laughter, and soon Ezra is copying him and giggling too. Jade quickly grabs her camera from the bedroom and takes a series of candid pictures that she knows will be perfect to frame.

"I Santa!" Ezra shrieks, and stands up in the tub while he claps his hands.

Jade is laughing harder than she has in a while as she watches the two of them giggle and play. Beck comes in shortly to see what all the ruckus is about, and his heart swells at the sight of his three favorite people. "What is so funny in here?"

"Dad, we're Santa Claus!" Finn says through giggles. "I'm Santa, and Ezra is Claus."

"Claus!" Ezra squeals.

"Ezra," Finn says, "say 'ho ho ho'!"

"Ho ho!" He copies almost perfectly, and then grins at his brother proudly.

Once the boys are out of the tub, Beck and Jade dry them off and brush their hair. The boys are busy chasing each other around the bathroom while Beck cleans up from the bath when Jade calls Finn over to her. "Hey, Santa," she says, smiling at him, "get over here so we can put a fresh band-aid on that cut." Finn bounces over to his mom and sticks out his left arm, where he'd gotten scraped yesterday on the playground.

"It still kind of hurts," the first grader admits.

Jade leans down to gently kiss the little injury. "Any better?"

"Yeah. I don't think I need a band-aid anymore."

"Yes, you do," Jade laughs. "We'll do a little bit of Neosporin and then a band-aid, okay?"

"It's not gonna burn, right?"

"Not at all."

By noon, everyone is showered, dressed, and ready for Thanksgiving at the West house. Jade has tried to get Beck to budge on where they'll spend their day, but he remains sure that it's what he wants to do. On the way there, while the boys entertain themselves in the backseat, Beck brings up something he'd just thought of.

"Hey."

"Hmm?"

"This is sort of irrelevant, I guess, but why doesn't your dad set up Ryder with Veronica? They're both single."

Jade scoffs. "They hate each other. It's funny, because you would think that two people who both couldn't possibly be more narcissistic would be the perfect match—but no, you couldn't pay them to get along."

"Isn't she coming today?" Beck grimaces at the thought of so much conflict that's bound to happen at this Thanksgiving lunch.

"I told you that this would be miserable."

"It won't be. Everything will be fine."

"Mhmm," Jade mumbles doubtfully, and closes her eyes to rest against her seat. Beck reaches over to hold her hand and he squeezes it softly.

"You feel okay?"

"Just nauseous, probably at the thought of actually spending Thanksgiving with these crazy people."

When they arrive at the front door, Finn and Ezra are buzzing with energy and Jade is glad that she'll have an excuse to—at some point—take them outside to play. Collin answers the door, and a firm smile immediately appears on his face. "There you are," he says, eyeing his daughter. "I can't tell you how pleased Margot and I were when you called to say you'd be joining us today."

Jade wants to throw a fit full of expletives at the way he's behaving after what had happened on Tuesday, but she holds it in. "You're lucky that Beck convinced me; it's why we're here," she replies.

"Thank you for having us, Mr. West," Beck says, but Collin can see in his eyes that Jade had told him what happened. "Happy Thanksgiving."

"Happy Thanksgiving. Please, come in." Collin steps back so that the four of them can walk inside, and the first person they see is Veronica.

"Hi, sis. Happy holidays," the blonde says, half-hugging her sister while watching out for the toddler in her arms. "Hey, Beck."

"Happy Thanksgiving," he replies with a friendly smile.

"Alright, so let me get this straight. This one is Finn, right?" She looks down at the six-year-old. "You're Finn?"

"I'm Finn," he answers, and then points up at his little brother. "And that's Ezra."

"Ezra," Veronica repeats, pointing at the baby. "Got it. And they both call you mom?"

Finn looks up at Jade with a confused look on his face. Though the question hadn't been directed towards him, he understands it just as well. "Yes," Jade answers simply, and runs her hand through Finn's hair to calm any worries. "Who all is here?" She asks, changing the subject.

"So far, Dad, Margot, Richard, and Nancy." Jade's stomach churns at the idea of seeing Ryder's parents, who used to love her-before she broke their son's heart. She hasn't seen them since before ending things with him. "Ryder will probably be here soon, and then I'll have to start drinking," Veronica says with an eyeroll.

The blonde leads them further inside to the living room, where both sets of parents are chatting amongst each other. "Richard, Nancy," Collin says, "you remember Jade."

"Of course we do." Nancy Daniels smiles at the young woman, and her eyes flitter across the three other people with her.

"This is my fiancé, Beck," Jade introduces him, and he shakes the woman's hand politely. "And this is Finn and Ezra." She watches as Nancy tries to hide the look of disappointment in her face. Collin had informed her of Jade's engaged status, but he'd failed to mention any talk of the kids.

"They're just adorable," she replies. She wants to ask for details, like if Ezra is Jade's biological son and how their situation works, but she decides that she can ask later on when the kids aren't around.

Twenty minutes before the Thanksgiving lunch is served, Ryder arrives at the West home. Jade feels Beck's grip around her waist tighten, and she keeps her eyes locked on their sons to make sure they're still blissfully clueless about anything that's going on. When they get seated around the table in Collin and Margot's dining room, Jade puts as much space between the boys and Ryder as possible.

Much to Jade's relief, the conversation stays free from any discussion of the "personal aspect" of Collin and Richard's merger. By the time most people have finished their desserts, Ezra is asleep in Jade's lap and an unbelievable amount of tension has built up between Beck and Ryder.

Finn wants to play outside in the enormous backyard, so Jade uses it as an excuse to get away from everyone else. "Beck," she says, getting her fiancé's attention. "I'm taking Finn outside. Here, take Ezra."

Beck knows from the look on her face that she's handing him the toddler for a specific reason: if he's holding Ezra, he can't get into a fight with Ryder. He takes him into his arms and watches as Jade walks with Finn out through the back door. She sits down on the outdoor furniture and keeps an eye on the six-year-old as he bounces around.

Beck, meanwhile, is standing in the sunroom holding Ezra when he hears someone coming up behind him. Ryder walks to stand beside him, folds his arms over his chest, and keeps his gaze on the view of the Hollywood Hills through the huge window. "So when's the wedding?"

Beck wants to scoff, but decides to be civil for the time being. "Three weeks."

"And you're okay with all of it?"

"With marrying the love of my life?" Beck looks at him. "Yeah, I'd say I'm okay with it."

"Nah, I don't mean that," Ryder clarifies. "I mean with...you know, tying her down."

Beck rolls his eyes. "Let it go, Ryder." Ezra stirs in his father's arms and Beck rocks him back into a deep sleep.

"I'm just saying. Jade is barely twenty-four, and all she's getting out of marrying you is a full-time job as a mom." Beck can already feel himself getting angrier, but the baby in his arms reminds him not to budge. Instead of dignifying Ryder's comment with a response, he leaves the room and heads for the backyard. "Aw, come on. We were just getting started."

Beck ignores it and closes the back door behind him. Jade looks up at him and furrows her eyebrows, but before she can ask, Ryder is coming through and she stands from the couch instantly. A quick look tells her that Finn is still entertaining himself on the sports court. "Let's go," she tells Beck, who nods his head.

"Not so fast, man!" Ryder's grin makes Beck want to smack him, and when he palms Beck's shoulder, Jade's blood boils at the sight of his hand so close to Ezra. "Calm down, mama bear. It's not like he's yours."

Jade instinctively turns to check on Finn again, and she's thankful he hasn't caught on to anything unusual. "Give me Ezra," she tells Beck, in a dangerously low voice. He obliges, happy to have his hands free so that he can defend himself and Jade if he needs to. She takes the still sleeping toddler into her arms and turns to face the backyard. "Finn, baby, we're leaving!" Within a minute, the six-year-old is back up on the porch and Jade takes his hand. As they walk inside, Jade closes the door behind her and takes the boys into the living room to say goodbye.

"Is Dad coming?" Finn looks up at Jade. "I think he stayed outside."

"He'll meet us in the car," she promises. "We're going to say bye to everyone and then we'll go, okay?"

"Okay."

Fifteen minutes later, when Beck is limping out to the car, Jade is the only one who notices. Ezra is still asleep in his car seat, and Finn had exhausted himself outside enough to nap. Beck comes up to the side window, where Jade is sitting, and she rolls it down to see him. "What the hell—"

"Can you drive?" He asks, and she nods and switches into the driver's seat so that he can get into the passenger's.

"What did you do?" Jade backs out of the driveway and begins the drive back to their hotel.

"He threw the first punch, not me." Jade rolls her eyes. "God, I hate him."

"Well I hope he's limping, too?"

"Oh, he is. I left while he was still down, but he still got a few hits to my stomach, and I think my jaw is going to bruise."

"Honey—"

"I'm fine. I promise." Beck reaches his left (and non-bruised) hand across to hold her free one. "I'm okay."

The next morning, Finn and Ezra are awake by 7:30. Finn helps his little brother out of the big bed, and they walk together into their parents' room to see that they're both still asleep. They crawl onto the mattress, as usual, and Beck and Jade are awake within seconds from the sudden movement and little voices in their bedroom. Somehow, the boys never fail to break through Jade's deep sleeps.

"Morning, boys," she says, pulling back the covers to let them in. She kisses both of their foreheads and Ezra moves to snuggle in her arms.

"What are we doing today?" Finn asks as he plops himself on Beck's lap. His dad instantly winces, as Finn had sat on one of his bruises (and the fact that his entire body is completely sore doesn't help), but the six-year-old doesn't notice.

"We have to be a little careful with Daddy today," Jade tells them, fighting a laugh. "He fell last night and he has some boo-boo's."

"Daddy have boo-boo's?" Ezra asks her, and his brown eyes turn to Beck to find said injuries.

"Yeah," Beck answers, still smiling at his sons. "Daddy doesn't feel so good."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, buddy." Beck ruffles Finn's hair. "I'm okay. Oliver men are tough, remember?"

"Uh-huh."

"Hey, boys," Jade says, "how about we go get breakfast somewhere, and we can bring something back for Daddy?"

"Yeah!" Finn exclaims, and Ezra soon copies him. "Can we go now?"

Jade ignores the fact that she's exhausted and that it's not even eight in the morning yet, and smiles at Finn. "Let's go."

While they're gone, Beck gets some more sleep and covers the cut on his knee with a fresh bandaid. He wishes that he could start packing up their suitcases, since they have to be at the airport in a couple of hours, but his body is too sore to do anything more than minimal movements. After a little while, Jade returns with the boys and some breakfast tacos. She sends Finn and Ezra into the bedroom to bring their dad his food, and makes her way into the boys' room to pack.

By the time Paul and Carole drop them off at their house after picking them up from the airport, the entire Oliver family is exhausted. Around two in the afternoon, Beck's painkillers allow him to take a nap, and Jade bathes their sleepy sons before setting them up in bed with him so that they too can nap.

Jade, meanwhile, walks into the living room and lights the fire. As she sits on the couch for some peace and quiet, she sips on a cup of tea and tried to relax her mind. It's been running without stop for the past week or so, and she thinks she's even more emotionally tired than physically. She's got a million things on her mind; the disastrous Thanksgiving, the unsure future, and the secret she knows Beck is still keeping... They're all constantly in the back of her head.

She doesn't realize how long she's been sitting for until she hears the door creak open. "Can I join you?" Beck asks once he's in the room, walking slowly over to the couch.

"How could I say no to a cripple?"

Beck grimaces. "Very funny." He sits down carefully and rests his arm around her.

"What time is it?"

"Three thirty," he answers. "The boys are in our bed watching Frozen. You've been out here for a while; is everything okay?"

"I'm okay," Jade promises. "How's the soreness?"

"Still pretty bad."

She smirks. "That's what you get for making us go to my dad's house for Thanksgiving." Jade snuggles into him gently and he kisses her hair. They're quiet for a few minutes until Beck decides to say something that's been on his mind since Jade's Tuesday lunch with Collin.

"Sometimes I worry that I'm not enough for you." She turns her head up to give him a worried look, but he doesn't meet her eyes yet. "I know that I can't give you the life you always wanted; I can't buy you tons of fancy things and nice cars and vacation homes—things that someone like Ryder could." Jade knows how much humility it's taking for him to admit this to her, so she racks her brain for the best possible thing to soothe him. She contemplates a lot of things that she could tell him, but settles for the thing she's been waiting to tell him anyways.

"I'm pregnant." Beck instantly makes eye contact with her and sees that she has an unreadable expression on her face. "We're pregnant," she repeats.

"Wait, what? When did you—"

"Tuesday morning. Before I left for lunch with my dad, I realized how late I was. I figured that there was only one thing that could explain the nausea I've been feeling, so on my way back from getting breakfast with the boys this morning, I picked up a test. It didn't have to be positive for me to know, though; I've just had a gut feeling since earlier this week." Beck is speechless, which worries Jade even more. "I want you to know that you are the only man in the world who I would want to or be ready to have a baby with. Only you, Beck."

His hands move to cup her cheeks and he kisses her lips. "I love you so much. Are you okay with this? How are you feeling?"

Jade breathes out a sigh of relief. Leave it to Beck to put her and her feelings before himself or the fact that she'd waited all week to tell him. "I'm okay. A little nervous, because obviously it's way earlier that we'd wanted it to be."

"Not necessarily," he says, rubbing his thumb softly against her cheek. "This timing is perfectly okay with me."

She nods, and Beck presses his forehead against hers. "We're getting married in three weeks, and then we're having a baby." He grins and closes the space between them with a kiss. "We kinda hit the jackpot, huh?"

Jade sighs. "I'm worried about Ezra."

"Don't worry. He'll be okay. And Finn will be over the moon," Beck reminds her. They move so that she's laying in his lap and he's holding her, and she's sure to be careful with his bruises.

"I don't want to tell the boys yet, though. Or anyone. Not until we're sure," she says. Beck agrees and, moments later, he's grinning from ear to ear. "What?"

He laughs, even though it hurts his stomach, and then looks at her. "For the first time, I'm not worried about having a baby. The first time I found out I would be a father, I was eighteen and scared to death." Jade runs her hand through his hair. "The second time was even scarier because I wouldn't have put it past Leslie to put Ezra in danger. But, this time, everything feels right."

Jade doesn't know what to say, so she leans in to kiss him. "We're having a baby," she whispers, and saying the words aloud makes them feel so much more liberating.

Beck smiles. "We're having a baby."

* * *

**Title is _my favorite_ James Taylor song.**

**Thoughts?**


	12. Chapter XII

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_Chapter XII_

_Fly Me to the Moon_

.

Five seconds after Beck knocks on the door of his parents' house, the door swings open from the inside. "They're here!" Finn shouts, and launches himself into Beck's arms. He leans over to hug and kiss Jade, who is nearly in tears at the sight of him. It's not long before Ezra, too, is running down the hallway of Paul and Carole's house to see his parents.

"Mama!" He screams, and Jade lifts him into her arms.

"Hi, baby!" She cuddles Ezra close and kisses him. "We missed you guys so much."

Paul and Carole appear at the doorway and hug their son and new daughter-in-law. "How was Hawaii?" Paul asks as they all walk inside.

"It was absolutely incredible." Beck grins and takes a seat on his parents' couch, Finn still in his lap.

"Did you go surfing? And swim with the stingrays?" The six-year-old is bustling with excitement. "Did you go to the volcano?" His eyes suddenly get wide. "Are there great white sharks in Hawaii?"

Jade laughs. "We did all of that stuff, and we've got tons of pictures."

"I unto see the sarts!" Ezra exclaims.

"You can see the sharks," she promises, and kisses him. "Daddy even got in the shark cage to see them underwater."

Finn gasps. "You did?!"

"I did. Mama was scared for me, but I really wanted to do it."

"I can't believe you actually got in that cage," Carole says, laughing. "Only the crazy people you see on TV do that!"

"That's what I said," Jade tells her.

"It was a blast—something I'll never forget. But, most of all," Beck says to his son, "we missed you and Ez."

Just as Beck and Jade are leaving with the boys to return to their own home, Carole pulls her daughter-in-law to the side. "I'm so glad the trip went well," she says, smiling happily. "It wasn't tainted by any sickness, was it?"

"I had a couple of mornings that were a little rocky, but overall, I felt great."

"Darling, I'm so glad. Have you and Beck decided when you'll tell the boys?"

"I think we want to wait until I'm out of the first trimester to tell anyone—and since I'm only in my seventh week, it will probably be a while until that happens. The only people besides you and Paul who know are Tori and Andre."

"Okay, that's what I thought. Well, I'm so happy that you and Beck enjoyed your trip. You deserved that break."

Jade smiles and accepts the older woman's hug. "Thank you, again, for keeping them. It means the world."

"Any damn time," Carole promises.

By the following week, Beck and Jade have re-adjusted to the time change from Maui to Breckenridge and are happy to be back home.

They'd finished all of the paperwork for their marriage license, as well as making Jade an official guardian of both boys. She had lawfully become what they had known for over a year—she's a wife and a mother.

After dinner, they're in the music room after dinner to practice and play, and Jade is working with Finn on a James Taylor piano piece. Beck is playing the guitar to go alongside his son while Ezra plays with his baby xylophone.

"Daddy." The two-year-old suddenly rises from where he's sitting on the ground and walks over to Beck.

"What's up, buddy?"

"I go potty now."

Beck instantly sets the guitar down and picks up his son. "Awesome job for knowing you have to go, Ez! Give Daddy a high-five." Ezra slaps his hand to Beck's, and Jade watches as her husband carries him out of the room.

Since starting potty training with Ezra last week, Beck and Jade have learned that their son has just one (very specific) request for when he has to go to the bathroom: his dad _has_ to be there. Although Beck has shown him how to go plenty of times, Ezra insists that he accompany him to the toilet each and every time. When Beck is at work, it's a major struggle for Jade to get the toddler to go without him.

A few minutes after leaving the room, Beck and Ezra return and Beck announces that they'd had another successful trip. Jade and Finn cheer for him and Ezra grins, clearly proud of himself. Two hours later, the boys are sound asleep and Jade is finishing a drawing she's been working on. As Beck sits next to her in bed, he watches her work and occasionally leans over to kiss her neck or shoulder.

"I'm never going to finish this if you keep doing that," Jade tells him after he presses another kiss to her face.

"You can finish it tomorrow," he whispers against her ear, and, in one swift move, moves the paper and pencil from her lap to her nightstand. Within seconds, she's underneath him and he's already started his mission to get her clothes off. He reaches over to turn off her lamp, and then moves right back to give her body all of his attention.

By this point, Jade has had plenty of practice in keeping quiet when Beck disappears under the sheets. Even when her toes are fully pointing and he's pleasing her so hard she can't see or think, she controls herself. After he kisses his way back up her body, he pushes himself inside of her and his lips find hers.

They've barely been going for a minute when the door that they'd forgotten to lock creaks open and Beck freezes his movements. Both of their heads jerk to look at the door, and Jade breathes a sigh of relief when she sees that it's Ezra. While their older son could have clearly asked questions, it's obvious that the two-year-old is completely clueless—especially seeing how his parents are under the covers.

Ezra is holding his green blanket in his arms and he walks innocently over towards the bed, where Beck is still inside of his wife. "Daddy," he says in his little voice. "I go potty."

Jade almost bursts out laughing at the pained look on Beck's face, but she holds it in. "Um," he starts, and looks at his son, "can Mama come instead of Daddy this time?"

Jade furrows her eyebrows. "Hey, what?" She whispers to him.

"I can't pee with a hard on," he says through gritted teeth, and Jade has to hide her laughter in the pillow.

Ezra's face scrunches up in a confused expression. "Does Mama have a wee-wee too?"

Jade lets out a chuckle and Beck's head drops as he sighs. "Okay, buddy, Daddy will be there in just a minute. Can you hold it for a minute and I'll come to your room?"

"Daddy, I go _now_," Ezra informs him.

"Okay. Go into Mama and Daddy's bathroom." Ezra does as his dad says, and Beck looks down at his completely entertained wife. "It's gonna go everywhere," he tells her, but that only makes her laugh more.

"Good luck," she says between spurts of laughter. Beck shakes his head and grins before pulling out and waddling to the bathroom.

"Daddy," Jade hears Ezra say, "whas'wrong with your wee-wee?"

If his son weren't the cutest kid in the world, Beck might be frustrated. But, as always, one look at Ezra and he turns to mush. Luckily, the toddler has another successful bathroom trip, and soon he's pulling up his pajama bottoms and grabbing his blanket off the floor. After washing his hands, he runs back into the bedroom and heads straight for the bed, where Jade is propped up on her elbow. Knowing that their son would want to get into bed with them, she had thrown on Beck's t-shirt.

"Mama's so proud of you," she tells him as she lifts him into the bed. "You're such a big boy."

"I a big boy!" He copies as Beck is pulling on a pair of boxers. Ezra snuggles into Jade's chest, innocent and young enough that he doesn't know or care about what he had interrupted.

"Alright, buddy," Beck says, standing on his wife's side of the bed. "Time to go back to your room, okay? Come on, Daddy will carry you."

"No, I stay with Mama," he insists.

Jade is torn between wanting him to stay and cuddle, and wanting to finish what she and Beck had started. However, the pediatrician had informed them that Ezra's recently formed habit of wanting to sleep in his parents' bed every night is not one that should be encouraged.

"Hey, bear." Jade kisses his hair and rubs his back softly. "Daddy will take you back to sleep in your own bed, okay? But, tomorrow morning, will you come snuggle in our bed with us?"

"I unto sleep with Mama," he whines.

"I know you want to, buddy, but sleeping in your new big boy bed is so fun! And tomorrow, Daddy will make eggs and bacon. How does that sound?"

"Can Daddy gimme piggy back?"

"Yeah," Jade laughs. "Look, Daddy's ready. Jump on!" Beck catches his son onto his back, and they blow Jade kisses as they walk towards the door. "Goodnight, baby. I love you," she says as Beck carries him out of the room.

By the time her husband returns, Jade has removed the t-shirt of his that she'd thrown on and is waiting for him in bed. "Well, that was an adventure," he says, locking the door behind him. Jade smirks and watches as he crawls back into bed with her.

"Is something still wrong with your wee-wee?" She asks, somehow managing to keep a straight face before bursting into laughter all over again. She's so busy poking fun at him that she hadn't even noticed he'd stripped himself of his boxers and is now dragging his hand down to be in between her legs.

"You want to keep teasing?" He asks her, grinning. "I think two can play this game, right, babe?" The next thing she knows, his fingers are _there_ and her eyes roll to the back of her head.

The next day, Jade is scheduled to do three photoshoots even before lunch, so she and Beck switch their usual roles. Jade drops Finn at school and, after Ezra throws a fit about not getting to go with his mother, Beck takes him to his work. By the time Jade is bringing her husband a late lunch in his office, she's already hungrier and more tired than usual.

"I hope you're ready to eat," she tells him as she pushes his door open, "because I can't wait another second." Jade drops the food on his desk and turns to see their two-year-old with his arms up. "Hi, bear." She picks him up and sits down across from Beck, who is moving papers from his desk to one side.

"Ooh, Chinese?" He asks happily, and begins unloading the contents of the bag.

"I've wanted it since breakfast. I actually also wanted it for breakfast, but they didn't open until eleven," she laments, causing her husband to laugh as he hands her her carton of noodles.

"How are you feeling? You seem tired, babe."

"Well, I'm growing a human. So there's that," she says between bites. "And then there's the fact that I've been on my feet for five hours straight today."

"I don't want you to overwork yourself."

"I'm not. Today was just busy, but it's fine. I have one more shoot in an hour and a half and then I'll be back at the house."

"Promise me that if you get too tired during a shoot, you'll take a break. Please?"

"Promise. Now, let's talk."

"About?"

"I know you're keeping something from me, and it's driving me insane. So, whatever it is, spill."

Just as she speaks her last word, Beck's phone goes off and he glances at it quickly. "Ah, one sec, babe. I really can't miss this call."

Jade rolls her eyes and finishes her carton of noodles while he talks on the phone. As soon as he's off, he looks up and can tell from her facial expression that she's still expecting an answer. "I'm not keeping something," he says.

"That was the saddest excuse for a lie I've ever heard. Tell me now, Beck. This has been going on for too long."

"Okay. Okay, I'll tell you tonight."

"What? No, I want to know now."

"Come on, Jade. Please be patient."

"You're kidding, right? Is this really so bad that you have to wait for a few hours just so you can think up a nice way to tell me whatever it is?"

"Jade—"

"No, I'm tired of this. It's been weeks, Beck! I know you've been keeping something from me and you refuse to tell me what it is! You'll just find a way to get out of telling me tonight, too."

"I swear, I—"

"No, I don't care. It's fine." Jade puts her empty food carton back in the to-go bag and stands up with Ezra still in her arms. She bends over to grab Ezra's little backpack, containing his snacks, toys, and change of clothes, and heads for the door.

"Baby, slow down." Beck is already making his way over to her, but Jade has no interest in staying. Before he can say anything else, she's out the door.

Later that evening, when the boys are asleep and Beck has just finished showering, he walks into the kitchen to find his wife. She's sitting at the table and he notices that she's writing music. "Hi," he says softly, and kisses her forehead. "Can I join you?" She nods and sets her pen down to let him know he has her attention. "I want to show you something."

She hadn't noticed until now the thing he'd been holding behind his back. He unrolls the large white paper across the kitchen table, and Jade realizes what it is that he'd been keeping from her. "I've been working on this for the past five weeks," he tells her. "I got all of the measurements and costs approved this morning, and I wanted us to be able to look over it together." Jade runs her hand over the design, a cleanly drawn, one-story home. "There's an open lot in the back of our neighborhood. I called the realtor; he said we can confirm the offer by tomorrow night if we want to."

"Beck," she sighs, feeling guilty for getting angry with him. He can see it on her face and he kisses her.

"Let me show you our house," he says softly, and moves to hold her from behind. One hand rests on her tiny bump of a stomach and the other he uses to point to things on the paper. He walks her through the entryway, the living room, and the kitchen. He points to their joint office and the master bed and bathroom. He shows her the spacious music room, where there's enough space to put her baby grand piano and all of their instruments, and she nearly cries.

"This is Finn's room," he tells her, pointing to the largest of the three rooms besides the master. "And next to his is Ezra's; they're connected by this shared bathroom. Then, across the hall and closer to our room, is the nursery. If we start now, the house will be ready by the time the baby's here."

Jade stares at the design for a few minutes before turning in his arms. "I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier."

"You don't have to apologize."

"No, I do. I'm sorry. This is perfect, Beck. It's our home, and it's perfect."

"I thought you might like it," he whispers against her lips, barely finishing his words before kissing her.

Her arms wrap eagerly around his neck as he lifts her up to sit on the table. When she starts unbuttoning his shirt, he laughs and pulls back. "This design took over a month to make," he reminds her. "I've got to roll it back up before we get the table dirty."

Jade smirks and watches as he moves the large paper to the kitchen counter. When he comes back to her, they resume their activities and he keeps his promise about dirtying the table.

When she is two-and-half months pregnant, Beck takes their sons out for a boys date while Jade accompanies Tori on a shopping trip in the town. Tori, whose stomach is burgeoning in the seventh month of her own pregnancy, is on a mission to find the perfect stroller and infant car seat.

"So, how's the first trimester going?" Tori asks as they begin their walk into town. "You're almost out; that's exciting!"

"Honestly, I thought pregnancy was way worse than this. Other than the fact that I want Chinese food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and the ten or eleven total times I've had morning sickness, I don't feel that different."

"You're so lucky. My first three months were hell on earth. I felt so bad for Andre."

"He loves you so much it's crazy," Jade reminds her. "He and Beck would find a way to bring us the goddamn sun if we asked."

"True," Tori laughs. When they pass a children's clothing store, the brunette sighs exasperatedly. "Ugh, you have no idea how annoying it is to not be able to buy clothes for the baby. I totally regret promising Andre that we'd let it be a surprise. Yesterday, I was this close to driving myself to the doctor and finding out. I totally could have kept it from him."

"There's no way in hell I could wait to find out. Having a baby is enough of a change; I need to have as many other things as possible in control."

"Have you and Beck talked about whether you want a boy or girl?"

"I want a boy," Jade answers as they walk into a baby store. "I have two and I know how to work with them. A girl would throw me off; I don't think I could deal with that."

"Aw," Tori squeals, "but a little girl would be so cute!"

"You sound like Beck."

"Well he's right! Don't you want at least one daughter to dress up and go shopping with?" Before Jade can answer, Tori spots a stroller that she likes and nearly bursts from excitement. "Wait, look at this one! It's perfect! Comfort, safety, and reliability are all ranked super high!"

"Will your husband kill you for buying a $200 stroller?"

"He'd probably want to, but I'm sort of carrying his baby," Tori jokes. "I'm buying it."

"Good luck with that." Jade looks around the store and sighs. "God, I really do hope it's a boy."

"Why?"

"We'll have to buy everything new if it's a girl. I mean, not _everything_. We have a crib, stroller, and car seat. But we already have so many boy clothes, boy toys, blah blah blah. What would we do with all of it if we didn't have another boy?"

"You could give it to me, if I have a boy," Tori points out as they continue wandering around the store.

"True. But I thought you were convinced that you were having a girl."

"I am, but I could be wrong. How soon until you can find out?"

"Beck and I go for my four month check-up in six weeks, so we've got a while to wait." Jade spots a car seat and motions for Tori to follow her. "Look, this is the one you want. It's comfortable for the baby and completely safe. Kind of a bitch to get in and out of the car, but which one isn't?"

Just as Tori is about to respond with how great she thinks the car seat is, she feels a sharp pain in her stomach and both of her hands fly to her bump. "Are you okay? Please don't tell me you're going into labor; I might pass out."

"No, no," Tori assures her. "The baby's just kicking a lot these days. She thinks my stomach is a soccer arena, I swear." She looks down at her stomach and rubs her hands soothingly around it. "Shhh."

Jade stare at her friend, half-intrigued and half-terrified. "Does it hurt?"

"It's just a really weird feeling. If she kicks hard enough, it can really hurt. And then sometimes she'll push herself up into my ribcage, and those kicks are pretty awful." Tori looks up at Jade and laughs at the pained look on her face. "Do you want to feel it?"

Jade shakes her head. "No. Thanks, though. I think I'm freaked enough for one day." Tori laughs and tells the employee who'd been helping them that she wants the car seat Jade had picked out.

Two weeks later, when Jade is officially out of the first trimester, Beck and Jade decide to show the boys the plan for their new house. They've just finished cleaning the table from lunch when Beck goes into their room to get the scroll of paper. "What's the surprise, Mama?" Finn asks, bouncing up and down in front of Jade.

"I can't tell you; that's why it's a surprise!"

"I unto know the surprise!" Ezra exclaims, copying Finn's jumping.

"Daddy's going to get it right now," Jade promises them.

True to her word, Beck returns momentarily with the plans for the house design. When he lays it out on the table, Finn and Ezra scramble to get onto the chairs for a better look. "What is it?" The six-year-old asks.

"This is going to be our new house," Beck answers, smiling as he wraps his arm around Jade. "I drew the plans, and Mama looked them over, and we decided that we liked them."

Finn's eyes widen as he turns around to look at them. "Is it ready now? Can we go?"

"Not yet," Jade laughs. "But it's being built, and it'll be ready by the time you're starting school in the fall."

Finn grins and turns again to overlook the plans. "Is this my room? Where it says Finn?"

"Yep. That one is yours."

"Look, Ezra, we're right next to each other! Your room is right here," he says, and points to the square in which his little brother's room is drawn. "Wait, who is Baby? What is Baby's room?"

"That's the other surprise," Beck says. "The bigger one. That room is for your little brother or sister."

Finn shoots around in his chair. "Mama's having a baby?"

"Yup."

His glance falls to her stomach. "Is it in your tummy right now?"

"Yeah, right now," she says with a smile. "The baby is really tiny, but he or she is in my tummy."

"Ezra!" Finn cries, "You get to be a big brother too!"

"I a brother?"

"I want to see it!" The six-year-old says excitedly. "Can I?"

Jade smiles and pulls up her shirt a little bit so that the boys can see the small bump that has formed. "See how my tummy curves a little bit? That's because the baby is growing in there." Finn stares in awe at his mom's stomach, and she can practically read his mind. "You can feel it, buddy."

Finn places his hand on her stomach and giggles. "Ezra, look. There's a baby in there!"

"I touch Mama's tummy too!" He says, scrambling to stand up on the chair. Beck helps him balance, and Ezra places his hand next to Finn's. "Baby?" He asks.

"Yeah," Beck tells him, and kisses his head. "That's your baby brother or sister in Mama's tummy."

"When do we get to meet the baby?" Finn asks.

"Not for another six months," Jade says. "But in a few weeks, we get to find out if it's a boy or a girl."

"If it's a boy, can it sleep in my room?"

Beck laughs. "Well at first, the baby will sleep with me and Mama in our room. But then once he or she is older, they'll have their own room in the new house, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. Well I can still play with them in my room. And I can share my toys with them! And—wait, do we have a backyard at the new house?"

"Yeah! That's one of the best parts," Beck explains. "Our backyard at the new house is going to be really big—way bigger than the one at this house. And, guess what will be in our backyard?"

"What! What! What!"

Jade grins. "A swimming pool!"

"In our backyard?" Finn shouts.

"In our backyard."

"We can swim anytime we want!"

"Exactly," Beck says. "You can help teach Ezra and your baby brother or sister how to swim."

"Do you want to see where we're going to build it?" Jade asks him. "It's in the back of our neighborhood, so we can all walk there together. You can ride your bike."

"Yeah! Can we go now?"

"Let's go," Beck decides. "Put on some clothes and tennis shoes and we'll go." Finn hurries off to his room to get dressed, and Jade pecks her husband's lips before picking Ezra up out of the chair.

"You ready to go see the house, buddy?" She asks as she carries him into his room.

"I see my house!"

"That's right." She kisses the top of his head and sets him down on the floor of his room. After picking out his clothes, she helps him get dressed and grabs his jacket to put on. "Come to Mama and Daddy's room so Mama can put her clothes on," she tells the two-year-old, who follows her into the master bedroom.

Fifteen minutes later, they're leaving to go to the back of their neighborhood. While in the garage, Ezra sees that his older brother is riding his bike. "Mama!" He jumps up and down. "I unto ride my scooter!"

"Oh," Jade sighs, "no, baby, why don't you walk with Mama and Daddy?"

"I ride my scooter like Finn!" He exclaims, and the smile on his face is so cute that it melts Jade's heart.

"Ezra," Finn tells him, "this is too far to ride your scooter. What if you fall?"

"I unto ride!"

"It is a little far, buddy," Beck adds. "It's up to Mama."

"Peas, Mama! I ride like Finn!" Jade looks down at her son, who is giving her the most adorable expression. "_Peeeeeeas_!"

"Okay," she finally says. "Okay, you can ride your scooter. Let Daddy put your helmet on, please."

Beck bends down as his younger son approaches him, and he straps Ezra's little helmet on his head. "Alright, buddy. You're going to be extra careful, right?"

"Uh-huh!"

"And always make sure to stay with Mama, Finn, and me?" Ezra nods. "Okay, let's get your scooter." Beck grabs the tiny scooter from where it sits in the garage and takes it out to set it on the driveway. Meanwhile, Finn has his helmet on and is ready to ride his bike.

The family sets off to the back of their neighborhood, with Jade watching the boys like a hawk. Beck's arm is around his wife as they walk together behind their sons. "I think Finn thinks he's becoming a dad," Beck says, which makes her laugh.

"He's going to be an amazing brother. He already is. I don't think Ezra gets it, but I'm sure he will soon."

"Maybe he will once you start to really show." Beck kisses her temple. "How are you feeling?"

"Hungry," she answers honestly. "Can we get Taipei for lunch? I need vegetable fried rice."

"Of course," he laughs. He's about to tell the boys to turn on the next street when he feels Jade detach herself from his arm. Apparently, she'd seen Ezra's fall coming before it had even happened. He watches as their two-year-old, who is completely protected by his helmet, struggles with a turn and falls off of his scooter. He's so near to the ground that he's not even close to seriously injured, but that doesn't stop him from starting to sob.

"Mama," he wails, and Jade is at his side in seconds. She picks up the crying toddler and rocks him in her arms. "Mama, I fall," he sobs.

"It's okay. You're okay; Mama's right here." She kisses his head and checks his arms and legs for any scratches.

"I have a boo-boo," he cries, showing her his arm. She sees the little scratch on his skin, but no blood.

"Look," Jade tells him, and kisses his arm. "Mama's kisses make it better, right? All better." Ezra nods his head and rests again on her shoulder. "Shhh," she whispers as his sniffling quiets down. "Mama's here."

"Hey, buddy. You okay?" Beck comes to the side of his wife and rubs their son's back. Finn quickly follows and goes to try and help comfort his brother.

"Ezra, you were doing a really good job on your scooter!" The six-year-old says, causing his parents to smile.

"I falled," Ezra mumbles back against Jade's shirt.

"That's okay, bud," Beck tells him. "We're almost there; do you want to get back on? If you don't, I'll carry your scooter." He shakes his head Beck kisses him. "Okay, no big deal." Jade takes his helmet off so that he's more comfortable and hands it to her husband. For the rest of the walk there, Finn continues biking and Jade carries Ezra. Beck tries to take their son from him so that Jade doesn't have to hold his weight, but he refuses.

Luckily, they're at the back of the neighborhood within minutes. There, at the top of a little hill that overlooks the town, sits an empty lot. "Is this gonna be it?" Finn asks, setting his bike against the sidewalk.

"This'll be it," Beck answers. "Go ahead, look around." Finn smiles and drops his helmet in the grass near his bike.

"Ez," Jade coos softly, kissing his head, "you wanna get down and play with Finn? Look, there's lots of space to play." Ezra lifts his head up and sees his brother running around in the grass, so he agrees and lets her put him down. In typical little boy fashion, within seconds of beginning to play, he's giggling and has forgotten all about his scratch.

Beck puts Ezra's scooter near the bike and then walks over to Jade to wrap his arm around her. "Just think. In about six months, we'll have a brand new house and a brand new baby." Jade sighs contently and leans against him. "How does that sound, Jade Oliver?"

She takes a break from watching Finn and Ezra play to look up and kiss her husband. "It sounds pretty damn good."

* * *

**Title is one of my favorites by Frank Sinatra.**

**Note: The next chapter is the last before the epilogue!**

**Thoughts?**


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